The-Trojan-Horse-Project-By-Manos-Murray-Rasp-Pdf 2

Trojan Horse
Manos Kartsakis | Michael Murray | Ian ‘Rasp’ Cheetham

Copyright © 2020 by Michael Murray
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without
written permission from the author(s). For television performance rights and further
information, please contact - info@mindfx.co.uk
Contents:
ContentsPage 1 - Introduction | History
The Stealth Switch System by Manos Kartsakis

Page 6 - A Note to the Reader | Effect | Presentation
Page 10 - Method
Page 22 - Additional Ideas & Suggestions
Page 24 - Final Thoughts
Page 25 - Note to the Reader
Page 26 - Performance Analysis
Page 28 - Credits
Guess Work by Michael Murray

Page 30 - Overview
Page 31 - Pseudo Demonstration
Page 35 - Contemplations | Opening Thoughts
Page 37 - History & Development
Page 38 - Art of Failing
Page 40 - Step By Step Instructions
Page 52 - Additionl Thoughts
Chain Reaction by Michael Murray
Page 54 - Introduction | Method & Performance
Page 57 - The Reveal
Page 59 - Food for Thought
Remote Control by Michael Murray

In Two Minds by Michael Murray

Page 82 - Alternative Approach
Page 86 - Special Thanks & Credits

Manos Kartsakis | Michael Murray | Ian Cheetham
Introduction:
I feel a complete mix of emotions as I write the introduction to this book.
On one hand, I am very excited for you to learn the two routines that are
contained within this book, and on the other hand, I am disappointed that
you will not have had the opportunity to witness them in action for yourself.
My one saving grace is that the methods that you are about to learn, are as
equally as impressive, as the effects themselves.
The first routine to be taught is the ‘original’ routine, as created and developed
by my good friend, Manos Kartsakis, without whom, this entire project would
not exist. This first routine, which has been written and explained in Manos’
own words will introduce you, the reader of this book, to a minimum of
two brand new techniques which are guaranteed to find a permanent home
within your repertoire.
The second is a routine which is of my own creation and offers a fresh new
methodological approach to this plot that will no doubt leave your face
smiling and your head spinning. Best of all, it is entirely possible to combine
the different elements of both routines to create an absolute powerhouse of a
routine that can be performed at any time, any place and anywhere (so long
as there are three small objects to hand).
History:
Before we delve into the routines themselves, I thought it may be nice to offer
a brief glimpse into the history of how this project came together.
Whilst enjoying the unusually hot weather in the summer of 2020, I was urged
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Trojan Horse
by my good friend, Ian ‘Rasp’ Cheetham, to contact our mutual friend, Manos
Kartsakis, to witness his latest creation. Having been so highly impressed
with his prior releases, namely; V, V2 and Unveil, I promptly contacted him
to arrange a suitable time for us to talk.
Manos was very quick to reply, and together we scheduled a convenient

time for the demonstration to take place. Needless to say, Manos did not
disappoint, and his method (which affords the performer the ability to locate
the positions of three hidden objects) was every bit as impressive as I hoped
it would be.
After remarking to Manos just how much I loved this routine, he very kindly
gave me permission to play around with it myself, and as a direct result of
this, I left the conversation feeling freshly inspired to revisit this plot.
Having previously released several ‘three object routines’ of my own creation

(including Equilibrium, Remote Perception System and my contribution to
Mark Chandaue’s Totally Free Will book), I quickly began exploring different
ways in which I could combine Manos’ thinking with my own.
Over the weeks that followed, I made a series of calls to Ian ‘Rasp’ Cheetham,
who was not only very patient in listening to my thoughts but was also highly
instrumental in helping me to polish my own version of Manos’ effect into
something that I am incredibly proud of.
Content that I was onto something special, I reached back out to Manos and
scheduled another Skype call with him. After demonstrating my handling
for Manos, he was not only extremely complimentary about the method but
also very generously offered me the opportunity to release my idea to the
mentalism community.
In light of this, we enlisted the proofreading skills of, Ian ‘Rasp’ Cheetham,
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Manos Kartsakis | Michael Murray | Ian Cheetham
and decided to release the two ideas together as a singular joint project.
Owing to the deviousness of the methods at play and the generosity that my
good friend from Greece had shown me, I could not think of a more befitting
title for this project than ‘Trojan Horse’. Let us now move on to the good
stuff…
The Stealth Switch System

By Manos Kartsakis
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Trojan Horse
4
The Stealth
Switch System
By Manos Kartsakis
Note to the Reader:

Below you will find a description of the effect, a detailed presentation and
then a detailed explanation of all the methods involved. Before we start, I just
want to clarify the following:
The reason I include a description of the effect is that I believe, just as

Vernon said, every effect should be explained in a simple way that is easy
to understand. If you can’t explain the effect in simple terms then there is
usually something wrong with it.
The presentation is basic and its purpose is to highlight moments and

subtleties that make the routine work. Everyone should feel free to embellish
the presentation with things that work for their character and make it unique
to them.
Effect:
The performer asks a participant to hide three different objects in their
pockets and hands. Although the participant has a free choice throughout
the routine where to place each item, and even switch them many times,
the performer is able to divine with 100% accuracy where each object is and
delivers a surprise ending.
Presentation:
It is true that I like to play games with people’s minds. Basically, what I do
boils down to influencing the way people think, reading their mind, and
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By Manos Kartsakis
sometimes even trying to predict their actions. I will try to demonstrate these
using the three objects you have in front of you (a folded bill, coin, key). The
first thing I would like you to do is to openly pick up the bill with one of your
hands and close it in a fist like this (the performer demonstrates this action).
That’s perfect. I can see that you picked it up using your Right Hand. Believe
it or not, that was exactly what I wanted you to do. You might have not
noticed this until now, but I have been gesturing all this time with my left
hand showing it empty, while my Right Hand was resting on the table in a
closed fist pretty much exactly like what your right hand looks like right now.
Mirroring other people’s body language to influence their actions is a classic
technique, and as you can see it works because you did put the bill in your
right hand and that was exactly what I wanted you to do (as the performer
says these words he opens hisright hand to reveal a banknote in it).
Maybe you think this was a fluke though. It was a fifty-fifty chance, after
all, so let’s take it a step further. You can put the bill back on the table. In a
moment I am going to turn my back so I won’t be able to see what you’re
doing or influence your actions. Just to be clear, what we are going to do is
hide these items in different positions using your hands and your pockets,
and in the end, I am going to try and find the bill again. The other two objects
are just distractions. Now, I won’t be able to see you, but I do need you to
follow my instructions. Are you ready? (The performer turns his back).
Alright, please pick up the bill from the table with either hand. Switch it
around in your hands a few times so that it ends up somewhere random.
Great, now pick up the key with the other hand. Switch those two objects
around a few times until you are sure that I couldn’t possibly know which
object is where. Let me know when you are ready. Ok, great... Now put one
of them in your right pocket (as the performer says that, while having his
back turned, he mimes putting an item in his right pocket). Ok, now pick up
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the other item from the table with your empty hand... and switch the items
in your hands one more time, just to make it more random. Now you will
notice that the objects are in a different position than they were a few seconds
ago. You can even switch the one in your hand, with the one in your pocket
if you want to. Do you want to do that, or are you happy with the way they
are now? It’s completely up to you. (The participant either switches or not,
it’s a completely free choice and when they are ready, you continue)... Great,
now put the other item in your empty pocket, (the performer mimes putting
something in his pocket while having his back turned) then close both hands
like this (the performer demonstrates this action by closing both his hands
in fists) and ask me to turn around when your hands look identical, and I
can’t possibly see what they are holding. (The participant announces they are
ready and the performer turns around).
Alright, now you understand that every time you switched those items around,
they ended up in a random position. If you had switched one more time or
one less, these objects would now be in completely different positions.. and
you had a completely free choice how many times you switched them around,
you even had a completely free choice to switch the one in your hand with the
one in your pocket. So I couldn’t possibly know which object is where right
now, is that correct? (The participant agrees). This is where the mind-reading
part comes in. In order for me to find where the bill is, I will have to read your
mind. I am going to ask you two simple yes or no questions, but I just want
you to answer in your mind. Say nothing out loud. Are you ready?
Ok, remember, just answer yes or no in your mind only. Is the bill in your
Right Hand? Just answer in your mind... (after a few seconds the performer
says): That’s strange, I didn’t get anything. Did you really answer that question
in your mind? Let’s try it one more time, but this time really think about the
answer. Again, say nothing out loud. Is the bill in your Right Hand? Ok, I
think I got it this time. Now I am going to ask you another question, again
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By Manos Kartsakis
answer only in your mind. Is the coin in your left hand? That’s interesting...
Be honest, you didn’t think of the same answer to those two questions, did
you? (The participant says “No”). I thought not, your face looked so much
different on the second one, I almost didn’t recognise you. (This line is said
jokingly - alternatively, insert your mind-reading joke of choice here).
Alright, I did say that I am going to try to find the bill, but since you’re doing
such a good job, I think I will try to find where everything is! Now, please
think where the key is... just think, say nothing out loud. Great, now think
where the coin is, again say nothing out loud. Think about the coin again...
It’s in your left pocket! Yes? (The participant confirms that the coin is in their
left pocket. Without skipping a beat, the performer continues) Your left hand
is empty, the bill is in your right hand and the key is in your right pocket. (As
the performer reveals the location of each object, the participant opens his
hands to reveal that everything the performer said is accurate. The performer
allows for these multiple revelations to sink in, and then he continues). I
showed you how I can influence your actions by making you pick up the bill
in your right hand, I also showed you how I can read your mind by revealing
where each item was hidden, but what I haven’t shown you yet is, how I can
predict people’s actions ahead of time. This bill has been sitting on the table
since the beginning (the performer draws attention to the folded bill he had
in his right hand at the beginning of the routine). As I unfold it, you will see
I left something written for you in there. The performer unfolds the bill and
reveals a prediction on a post-it note attached on the bill, that reads:
• The Bill is in your Right hand.

• The Coinis in your Left pocket.
• The Keyis in your Right pocket.
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Method:
This effect can be broken down into three parts; The first phase, where you
apparently influence the participant to pick up the bill with the hand you
want them to. The main part of the effect, where they randomly place items
in their hands and pockets, and yet you are able to locate them and finally, the
prediction part at the end. I will explain how each part of the effect works, but
I believe that it’s the middle part where you are able to locate where each item
is that you can find some original thinking and methods. For the other two
parts, I have used existing methods that I believe work well with this effect.
Part One:
Influencing the participant to pick up the bill with the hand you want
them to.
For this part to work, you need to put a folded bill in your right hand and stand
face to face with the participant. You invite them to openly pick up the bill
with either hand and close their hand in a fist. While you are explaining this,
you are gesturing with your left hand, casually showing it empty, while your
right hand is closed in a fist either on the table if you are performing seated,
or by your side if you are standing. If the participant chooses to pick up the
bill using their right hand (which I have found happens a lot) you highlight
the fact that they did it with their ‘Right Hand’ by immediately drawing
attention to your right hand which contains a bill as well, emphasising the
words ‘Right Hand’ a few times (see performance section again). However,
if the participant chooses to pick up the bill with their left hand, you say
nothing about the left or right hand, but immediately draw attention to the
fact that you are standing as a mirror image of each other, and casually show
that they put the bill in the hand that is on the same side as yours, making it
look like they are looking at themselves in the mirror. The performance, in
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By Manos Kartsakis
this case, should sound something like this:
That’s very interesting. I told you that one of the things I do is try to influence
people’s behaviour. One of the classic techniques when trying to influence
people is called “mirroring”, which means that you mirror their posture as if
you are a reflection of them when looking in a mirror. Now imagine there is
a mirror in front of you and I am your reflection. Show me your empty hand
(the participant gestures showing their empty hand and you repeat the same
gesture showing your hand empty as well). Now open the hand that contains
the bill (as the participant opens their hand that contains the bill, you mirror
the exact same action, showing the bill in your hand). Notice that during this
sequence, you just mirror the participant’s actions, first when they show their
empty hand, and then when they show the bill in their hand. But, you never
refer to your hands or their hands as left or right.
I also think it’s important that during this sequence, you try to emulate their
posture and gestures as much as possible, as all this is based on mirroring.
Last, but not least, I did mention this earlier, but I cannot stress this enough,
for this ploy to work the performer and the participant need to be facing each
other and not standing next to each other.
Part Two:
The Stealth Switching System and how you can control their actions by
giving them 98% free choice and controlling just 2%.
Let me start by saying in full disclosure, that I haven’t done the math on that
98% vs 2%, but it definitely feels like that so that’s good enough. On a more
serious note though, the only time you control the participant’s actions takes
less than three seconds, and everything else is a free choice. So, let’s take a
closer look at what is happening and how you are able to control certain
things while seemingly giving them absolute freedom of choice.
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• The first thing you ask the participant to do is to pick up the bill with
either hand and switch it around a few times until they are happy that
you couldn’t possibly know which hand it is in (remember, your back is
turned at this point). The participant truly has a completely free choice
of how many times they switch the bill around, and at this point, you
truly don’t know where it is. What you need to remember though is, that
the first item they picked up was the bill. This is of no importance to the
participant, as the attention is already naturally on the bill thanks to the
first phase.
• The second thing you do is ask them to pick up the key in their empty
hand and switch the two items around a few times until they are happy
you couldn’t possibly know which item is in which hand. The participant
again has complete freedom of choice over these actions and you truly
don’t know where the bill or the key end up. Another thing that is
important to remember here is, that the second item that was picked up
was the key. This will be important later. If you perform this routine using
the same items all the time, I would suggest starting always with the same
two objects (a bill, key) so that you won’t have to remember which two
items were the ones that were first picked up by the participant.
• Then you instruct them to put one of them in their right pocket. What
happens now, is that thanks to human anatomy and the force of habit, the
participant will place whatever they are holding in their right hand, in
their right pocket. To make sure that they will act as expected, while my
back is still turned, I mime putting my right hand in my right pocket as I
say “now put one of them in your pocket”. At this point, you don’t know
what is in their right pocket, it could be either the bill or the key (as those
were the two items they were holding) but you now know one thing for
certain. That their right hand is empty.
Note: Here are some additional thoughts on how you can make sure that the
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By Manos Kartsakis
participant will act naturally and put their right hand in their right pocket,
and not do something unnatural like putting their left hand in their right
pocket:
1. Remember to gesture and mime what you want them to do while your
back is turned. I do believe it’s important.
2. It helps if they are standing. Standing up makes it even more difficult to
do something unnatural like putting the hand in the opposite pocket.
3. Participants that are well-built or have a few extra pounds will find the
action of going with their hand to the opposite pocket even more difficult,
so they are more likely to act naturally.
4. Use their back pockets instead of front pockets. It’s almost impossible to
reach your left back pocket using your right hand, and vice versa, while
acting naturally.
5. Instead of saying “put one of the items in your right pocket” you can say
“put whatever is in your right hand in your pocket”. I believe that by
saying “whatever is in your right hand” you are completely eliminating
the other object from the picture and they will naturally go to their right
pocket as this is the only natural action. I believe that the only reason
someone would reach with their left hand in their right pocket would
be because for some reason they want to put that specific object in that
pocket. So by changing the wording, and thus eliminating the option of
placing a different object in the pocket the participant is more likely to
act naturally. Having said that, I do prefer the line “put one of them in
your right pocket” because I think it makes the routine more deceptive by
calling less attention to the hands and which one remains empty.
• The next thing you instruct them to do is pick up the other item from
the table with their empty hand. Of course, we know that the last item is
the coin, but I never say the word coin, or right hand, I always say “pick
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up the other item from the table with your empty hand”. Now we know
that the coin is in the participant’s right hand. Although we have gained
this bit of knowledge the participant should not be suspecting anything
at this point because all of their choices were fair and all of their actions
were natural. They picked up two items, mixed them up as much as they
liked, placed one in their pocket, and picked up another one. All of these
actions screamed “free choice” to the participant which makes this little
bit of knowledge we just gained completely invisible in their eyes.
• The next thing you say is the only direct instruction you give the
participant and is the only part that is not actually fair, but psychology
and tempo are what make it once again invisible to the participant.
Remember, at this point, we know that they are holding the coin in
their right hand, either the key or the bill is in their right pocket and
the other item is in their Left Hand. Right after the participant picks
up the coin from the table in their right hand, you say: “Now switch
the items in your hands one more time, just to make it more random.
Now you will notice that the objects are in a different position than they
were a few seconds ago. You can even switch the one in your hand with
the one in your pocket if you want to. Do you want to do that, or are
you happy with the way they are now? It’s completely up to you.” Now
let’s examine what happened here. The one direct instruction you give
them is to switch the two items in their hands o ne time, which brings
the coin in their left hand and whatever was in their left hand is now in
their right hand. This is the only controlled choice and it lasts less than
three seconds (verbally). The next sentence also makes sure that the two
items are now in different positions than they were a few seconds ago.
Although this sounds like it is making it fairer, it actually makes sure
that the participant has followed that direct instruction. Then notice how
the attention is drawn away from switching the two items in the hands,
and you are giving them a completely free choice of switching the one in
their hand with the one in their pocket (again while I say this, I gesture
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By Manos Kartsakis
by putting my right hand in my right pocket). Since one of the items is

in their Right Pocket, the only natural thing to do in order to switch,
and at the same time, the only thing that human anatomy allows you
to do comfortably is to put your Right Hand in your R ight Pocket and
switch the two items around. Again, the participant has a completely free
choice of whether they want to do this or not, and you do not even have
to know if they did it. Whatever their choice was, you now know this: The
coin must be in their left hand (because they switched the items in their
hands once) and the bill and the key must be in the right side of their
body (one in the hand and one in the pocket - you don’t know at this
point which is where). Again, notice the structure of this piece because
it is really important. You are coming from a series of free choices, give
them a direct instruction that is disguised to sound fair, and immediately
move to another completely free choice and draw all attention on that
free choice (switching what’s in their hand with what’s in their pocket).
• Right after you have given them this choice, the next thing you say is:
Great, now put the other item in your empty pocket. Remember, we
know that the previous choice was between the bill and the key, so now
by saying the other item, we subtly draw attention to the coin which
of course we know is in the left hand, and the empty pocket is the left
pocket. Again, while I say this, I gesture putting my left hand in my
left pocket while having my back turned. This forces the participant to
move the coin from their left hand to their left pocket. I would like to
point out at this point that this happens thanks to human anatomy and
the power of habit, reinforced by the subtle influence of the performer
miming those actions without ever having to say the words Left Hand,
Left Pocket, or Coin.
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This is what we now know:
1. The Left Handmust be Empty.

2. The C
oinmust be in the Left Pocket.
3. The bill and the key are on their right side of the body (One is in the right
hand and the other is in the right pocket. At this point, we don’t know yet
which is where).
If at this point you don’t understand how these items ended up in these
positions, you should read the switching sequence again before you read
further. All this has been accomplished by giving the participant one direct
instruction and thanks to the natural restrictions of the human anatomy.
Everything else was a completely free choice.
• The last instruction I give to the participant after they put the coin in the
empty pocket is to close both hands (again I gesture when saying this
while having my back turned) and ask me to turn back around when they
are sure that I cannot possibly see what they are holding in each hand.
The next part of the scripting allows for some time-misdirection and
emphasises the fairness of choice the participant had (see performance
section). At this point, the participant should feel that I couldn’t possibly
know what is in their pockets or what’s in their hands. The illusion of free
choice is so big that they are left feeling that the bill, the key and the coin
could have ended up anywhere.
Now let’s continue with how I find out the final piece of information: Where
the bill and the key are located. For the next part, I say that I am going to read
their mind. Since all attention is put on the bill in this performance it makes
perfect sense to ask “Is the bill in your right hand?” As you have already read
in the presentation, this is a question that they answer with a “Yes” or “No” in
their mind, without saying anything out loud.
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By Manos Kartsakis
After they have done this, my next question is “Is the coin in your left hand?”
Again, they only answer in their mind. The trick here is of course, that since
I already know that the coin is in their left pocket, I know that they are now
saying “No” in their head. I use this bit of secret knowledge to my advantage
by saying “That’s interesting. Now be honest, you didn’t just think of the same
answer twice to these two questions, did you?”
Important Note: I always have the participant answer the first question (Is
the bill in your right hand?) a few times in their mind, saying that I didn’t
get anything the first time they did it (refer to the script in the performance
section for more details). I do this because I want them to remember their
first response when it’s time for them to compare the two answers they gave
in their mind and say if they were the same or different. Also, in case they
weren’t r eally thinking about it, it looks like you picked up on that. Now let’s
move on.
Since I know the second answer was “No” if the participant says they answered
the same both times (“No” / “No”) I know the bill isn’t in their right hand.
This means that the key is in their right hand and the bill is in their right
pocket. I follow this by saying: “That’s why I said it was interesting. I couldn’t
pick up anything different when you were answering the second question, but
then I realised that you were just giving the same answer again and again”.
Of course, if the participant says they answered something different it has to

be “Yes” / “No” in which case I know that the bill is in their right hand and the
key is in their right pocket. I immediately follow this by saying “I thought so,
your face looked so much different in the second one, I almost didn’t recognise
you.” This, of course, is said jokingly and it just distracts the participant from
the fact that we actually gained an important piece of information with their
answer. Whatever the participant’s response is, whether they answered the
same in their head or not, the performer should deal with this as a hit, that
17
they indeed notice a similarity or that they indeed notice a difference, and
then quickly move on without drawing too much attention to it. At this
point, we know where all items are located. This chart below will help make
things clearer.
Now that we know where everything is, this is how I choose to reveal the
location of each item: Remember that at this point the participant thinks that
I am just going to reveal where the bill is because I have drawn attention to
this item at the beginning of the routine. I have done this on purpose for two
reasons. The first is, that it makes the other two items (key and coin) more
invisible during the procedure and I do have to follow where the coin is at
some point, while at the same time offering a plethora of free choices for the
location of the bill, enhancing the illusion of the free choice. Secondly, this
way, I over-deliver to what I had originally promised, making the revelation
of all these items even more impressive in my opinion. Although I already
know where everything is, I want to squeeze another mind-reading moment
in this routine before the final revelation. Now I ask the participant to just
think of where the key is (I haven’t asked about the key yet, so it makes sense
to do so) and then I ask them to think where the coin is. Now, I can say that
they are thinking that the coin is in their left pocket, which they confirm.
After they confirm that, I immediately move up to their left hand, saying that
it is empty (they open it to show it is empty), then I move across to the right
hand, revealing what is in there (key or bill depending on the situation) and
again they open their hand to show that I am correct. Finally, I reveal what is
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By Manos Kartsakis
in their right pocket (key or bill depending on the situation).
The reason I choose to reveal the items in this order is that it allows me to
have a good flow in my performance without the need for the participant
to reach in their pockets and start pulling things out while holding other
items in their hands to confirm that I am correct. First, I reveal that the coin
is in their left pocket which they reveal verbally so everyone immediately
knows that I am correct. Then, I reveal that their left hand is empty which
they immediately open to show that I am correct so we have instant visual
verification, followed by the item in their right hand for which again we have
instant visual verification, which leaves only one item (the last item) in the
last possible location, so by default, I must be correct. Revealing where all the
items are is a strong moment so I allow this to sink in before I move on to
revealing the prediction in the bill.
Part Three:
The prediction in the bill.
This is actually quite simple. The bill contains the two possible outs which are
revealed depending on how you unfold the bill.
The first out, inside the bill, reads:
• The Bill is in your Right Hand.

• The Coinis in your Left Pocket.
• The Key is in your Right Pocket.
The second out, reads:
• The Keyis in your Right Hand.
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• The Coin is in your Left Pocket.

• The Bill is in your Right Pocket.
The illustrations below show how you should unfold the bill to reveal each
of the two outcomes. Of course, you could always have only one outcome
written in the bill and have another bill in your pocket which you can switch
in when necessary which will be statistically half of the time. For this, you
can use your favourite bill switching technique, but try not to make it look
like a move.
Revealing Side One:
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By Manos Kartsakis
Revealing Side Two:
Note: It is only the final stage of the unfolding that differs between each of the
two reveals. For further clarification, please check out the video link below -
https://vimeo.com/464959107/49bb93dbda
What works to our advantage here is, that the bill was introduced in such an
innocent way at the beginning of the routine that no one suspects it contains
a prediction. Even the most experienced mentalists I have performed this
for did not see the prediction coming. This means that the audience has no
reason to suspect, let alone detect the bill switch. (Thanks Erdnase).
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The switch should happen at this point of the performance:
“Now, I showed you how I can influence your actions by making you pick
up the bill in your right hand, (as you say this line, pick up the bill in your
right hand, gesture with it and switch it using your favourite method). I also
showed you how I can read your mind by revealing where each item was
hidden, but what I haven’t shown you yet is how I can predict people’s actions
ahead of time. This bill has been sitting on the table since the beginning...”
What I like about this switch is that it is hidden during a natural action,
while you are recapping what happened in the routine and also it happens at
a point where, as I previously mentioned, no one knows that this bill plays an
additional role in the routine.
Additional Ideas & Suggestions:

Of course, this routine as described so far, can be performed close up, in
parlour settings or over an online platform such as Zoom. However, if you
want to perform this with real people in real settings (not online) and you
already own a magnet detector such as Flux, Sixth Sense or similar, you can
do the following:
In the first phase, introduce the magnetic item and play a classic which
hand game a couple of times with the participant. Then, introduce another
two items to go through the Stealth Switching System procedure, and start
by having the participant pick up the magnetic item. This will ensure that
the magnetic item will end up either in their right hand or in their right
pocket (as did the bill in the routine I previously explained). This means
that just by touching the participant’s right hand, you immediately know
where everything is. If you get a buzz from the sensor, the magnetic item
22
By Manos Kartsakis
is in the right hand. The item that was picked up second (i.e. the key in the
previous routine) must be in the right pocket. The item that was picked up
last is in the left pocket, and the left hand is empty as is always the case.
It goes without saying that if you do not get a buzz from the sensor when
touching the right hand, that means that the magnetic item is in the pocket.
The item that was picked up second is in the right hand, and the left hand
and pocket are the same as always. Of course, if you are using this gimmick
you do not have to ask the two questions from the previous routine and see if
the participant answers the same way both times. Instead, you can choose to
ask any questions you like, ask the participant to answer in their mind, and
of course know what they are thinking since you know the location of all the
items from just that one touch.
Another idea that can be implemented when performing this routine online
through a webcam, is to ask the participant to find a bill and any two other
items that are small enough to fit in their closed fists and try to make these
other two items as unusual as possible. When the participant comes back
and announces what items they have, quickly prepare your prediction off-
camera, including the two items the participant brought. Or better yet, have
an assistant prepare that for you if possible (for both outs) so at the end of the
routine you will have not only predicted the location of each item but also
what the items actually were. Your final prediction should read something
like this:
• The Bill is in your Right Hand.

• The Pencil Sharpener is in your Left Pocket.
• The Cookie is in your Right Pocket.
Special thanks to my good friend, Paul Draper, who suggested this idea for
online performances when I shared this idea with him.
23
I suggest creating a memory anchor the minute you get the information
about what’s in the participant’s right hand. I have chosen to subtly curl my
thumb in my fist if the bill is in the right hand. If the bill is in the pocket, I
leave my thumb in its natural position. This allows me to remember what I
had ascertained when I asked the participant if he gave the same answer in
his head both times or not, in case I forget later when it’s time to reveal where
everything is. In the heat of performance, or if there is an interruption by
someone making a comment, you don’t want to forget what was in their hand.
This way, just by taking a look at your visual cue (in my case my thumb), I
immediately remember what it was that I had figured out a few seconds ago.
Final Thoughts:
I sincerely hope that this routine does not seem overwhelming to you as it
is quite simple to remember when you practice it, and it actually takes very
little work on the part of the performer as far as mental effort is concerned.
Of course, you must know the script (the script I provide is basic to allow
for the method to work, feel free to embellish it with things that work for
your character) but other than that, all you have to find out is what is in the
participant’s right hand. Once you know that, you know everything.
I do not consider this routine to be in the same category as “which hand”

routines. I believe this is a good alternative to “Free Will” or “Visa Cabaret”
type of effects. I must admit that although I have been playing with the ideas
behind this routine for the last three years, this routine came together in this
form quite recently. I generally refrain from publishing something so quickly
and I do know that this presentation and this kind of effect has been done
many times before. In all honesty, I feel that I have just started scratching the
surface of the possibilities this combination of methods offers and I will be
spending a lot of hours working on more ideas, probably for the next couple
24
By Manos Kartsakis
of years. However, I do know that this routine works well, and I do hope that
some of you can find good value in it, either performing it in person or on
your online performances that have become popular in these crazy times we
are living.
I also believe that the technique employed at the end of the routine, where you
have the participant think of an answer in their head and then you are able
to extrapolate information using that concept, is quite interesting and can
be applied to a lot of logic puzzles that already exist which rely on a double
negative statement (commonly used in a liar or truth-teller presentation). I
have no doubt that this technique can be applied to many existing routines,
like Tequila Hustler, for example. However, the real question should be “How
can it be applied while making the routine as deceptive as possible?”
I believe that asking the participant to answer with a “Yes” or “No” in their
head is even simpler for them to follow than playing the role of a liar. Of
course, I have nothing against the truth-teller/liar plot. I have created a few of
those myself, but I do see a lot of value in this new concept and will definitely
explore it further.
Note to the Reader:

I have decided to include this section, from now on, for all my routines where
I explain some important details regarding the routine’s conception and how
I tend to perform it (close up, informal situations, stage, etc.) Of course,
everyone who is reading this is free to experiment with it in any way they
like but I think it’s important to know and understand my intentions behind
everything I create. What is more, those who know me quite well know that
I never create something if I do not think it has some significant advantages
compared to other versions so this section will highlight that aspect as well
in order to make it even clearer to the reader why this routine was created.
25
Performance Analysis:
This routine is intended to be performed either in close up informal scenarios
or online performances. I have not performed this on stage yet but I would
entertain the idea of performing the version with the magnet detector on
stage, using some interesting items and probably a different presentation.
Differences between this routine and other pre-existing versions: When
compared with other “Free Will” type routines, the main differences are the
following:
• The core method is completely different.

• There is no ambiguity in the final prediction and you don’t have to look at
the participant while they are handling the objects (or get any other kind
of cues while they are handling the objects).
• As far as routines that use the Bob Hummer principle or similar are
concerned the main differences are these:
• You do not have to control every switch they make between the objects
(in many other versions you have to say something along the lines of
“switch this with that and then switch the other...” etc.) for this routine
you do not need to do this. Almost all switches are free, they can switch
an unlimited number of times between the objects and they can even
switch or not at some point without even telling you if they did it or not
(when they are given the option to switch what’s in their hand with what’s
in their pocket).
• In many other versions you have to know the starting position of at
least one of the objects (i.e. the bill starts in the right hand) while in this
routine, you do not have to know the exact position of any of the objects
before you start the switching procedure.
• The restriction of choices in this routine relies on human anatomy rather
26
By Manos Kartsakis
than openly restricting their choices by saying something along the lines
of “Move object A in position B” or anything similar to that.
• I believe that the combination of having so many free choices of switching
during the routine and having 2 outs in the final prediction which
gives you again a completely free choice of switching the item in the
participant’s hand with the one in their pocket is unique and enhances
the illusion of free choice even more when compared to other versions.
As far at the logic puzzle used at the end is concerned, these are the main
differences when compared to other versions that use logic puzzles:
• It does not rely on them lying at any point and as a lot of people know, if
something can go wrong in this kind of routines, it is when the participant
has to lie and for some reason gets confused. I am not saying that these
methods are not good. A lot of people know that I have created many of
these logic puzzles myself. However, I do believe that this is a significant
advancement to the plot.
• The logic puzzle is disguised as part of a presentation that a lot of
mentalists use anyway (ask the participant to think of the answer in their
head). In my opinion, this allows the logic puzzle to be used as a part
of a procedure that has very little or even no compromise at all when
compared to the real thing (if you were really reading their mind).
Thank you so much for investing your time and money in studying what I
had to share with you. I hope you enjoyed it and that you get some good use
out of it.
Until we meet again...
Manos Kartsakis
27
Credits:
Stephen Minch: Michael Weber was kind enough to bring to my attention
that Stephen Minch was probably the first person to have used the ploy where
you mirror the participant’s body to show that you have influenced where
they have placed an item, in his 1984 book “Mind Melds”.
Michael Murray has also used this ploy and that’s where I picked this up
from, and Colin McLeod recently showed me a similar idea over a Zoom
performance and reminded me of it.
Bob Hummer for his Mathematical Monte routine and concept, Tommy
Down for his routine “Liars” - August 1945 - Phoenix, Jack Yates, P aul
Curry, K arl Fulves, Max Maven and Michael Weber all have work and
variations on controlled switching methods, and although mine is different,
it wouldn’t exist without the work and inspiration of those giants.
Special thanks to M ax Mavenand M

ichael Weberfor helping with the
crediting section once again.
Special thanks to my good friends M

ichael Murray, Ian Rasp Cheetham,
Mick Wilson, Mark Chandaue, Steve Wood, Andrew Brown, Christian
Grace, Paul Draper, Michael Clark and especially D rew Backenstoss for
giving me valuable feedback when I was putting this routine together. You
gents are amazing and words are not enough to express my appreciation for
your friendship.
28
Guess Work
By Michael Murray
Guess Work
Overview:
In an effort to demonstrate his thought reading abilities a willing participant
is requested to hide three borrowed objects upon their person. The mentalist
turns his back whilst the objects are hidden and at no point does he see, hear
or have any control over where each item is placed. After explaining the odds
of anyone being able to guess correctly, the participant is invited to mix the
objects further. The mentalist then immediately reveals the locations of each
object with 100% certainty.
Some important points to consider -
• Any three objects may be used (no gimmicks are required).

• The mentalist has zero control over where the objects are hidden (other
than requesting that one item is hidden in their hand and the other two
are hidden in different pockets).
• The participant may further mix the objects before the mentalist
reveals their locations (the mentalist never needs to know if they did
this).
• At no point do you need to see anything at all (this effect can be
performed remotely).
• The mentalist is always able to reveal the locations of each object with
100% accuracy.
• The participant can remain silent throughout the effect (other than
confirming that you are correct at the conclusion of the effect).
• The final positions of each object can be predicted if required.
• Perform over the phone, in person, or over the internet.
• Completely impromptu.
30
By Michael Murray
• Deviously simple, very direct and yet extremely fooling.

• This is not a logic puzzle
Pseudo Demonstration:
Although I have already mentioned this before, I will say it again, I am
EXTREMELY proud of the method that I have created to achieve this effect.
Simply put, it cannot get any more direct than this, and best of all, it is
devilishly simple too. Before I detail the actual method, I would like you, the
reader of this book, to experience it for yourself (albeit, in a loosely simulated
fashion). For those that wish to do this, please gather up the following three
items, so that you may follow along with the instructions -
• A Key
• A Banknote (any denomination/currency)
• A Coin (any denomination/currency)
Note: If for any reason you are unable to do this, please feel free to jump
straight to the method.
Instructions for You to Follow:

Assuming that you now have the three items listed above in your possession,
please follow along with the instructions below. For the sake of clarity, these
have been written in italics for you -
“I would like you to place any one of the objects into your Left Pocket, any one
of the remaining objects into your Right Pocket and then finally, hide the last
31
Guess Work
remaining item in your Hand.”
Please ensure that you have completed the actions above before reading
any further!
Given how fair this is, I am sure that you, as a reader of this book will
understand that there is no way for me to know, with certainty, where each
object is hidden, true?
“Even if I was to take a guess and said that the Key is in your Left Pocket, the
Banknote is in your Hand and the Coin is in your Right Pocket, I might be
lucky with one, but the chances of nailing all three are pretty slim.”
Please take a moment to check how accurate my guess was before

continuing!
“Incidentally, if I did manage to guess the location of any of the items

correctly, please take a moment to swap the item that was correct with any
one of the others, before continuing.”
It genuinely does not matter if I guessed any of the positions correctly or

not (and subsequently if you swapped any of them or not). I just wanted to
illustrate that the chances of anyone guessing the locations of all three are
pretty slim.
Before you turn the page, you must admit that I couldn’t possibly know
anything that has transpired up to this point. I couldn’t know how accurate
my guess was, I couldn’t know if any items were switched, and if so, I couldn’t
know which items they were. In essence, I couldn’t know anything, true?
32
By Michael Murray
Now that you have taken a moment to appreciate this,

please turn over the next page!
33
34
*If you failed to smile at the illustration above then that would be entirely natural given that the banknote
is actually in your left pocket, the coin is without a doubt hidden in your hand and the key is most
certainly in your right pocket!
this page upside-down and read the bottom line.
Do you have a huge smile on your face? If not, then please turn
Guess Work
By Michael Murray
Contemplations:
I truly hope that you took the opportunity to work through the simulated
performance. My hope is that by doing this, you will appreciate just how
direct a physical performance can be. I am sure that you will appreciate that
a live performance can benefit from all the additional subtleties, layers and
justifications that couldn’t be added to the simulated demonstration. Better
still, we always have the benefit of being able to reveal the specific locations
of each object, without the use of ‘outs’.
Note: In the unlikely event that the pseudo demonstration failed, this will be
entirely down to the original guesses being completely correct. Fortunately
for us, this won’t be an issue in a live performance.
Opening Thoughts:
Whenever I learn a new effect from a book, I always appreciate it when the
creator offers a little background information with regards to the creation
and development of the effect. I personally believe that this information
offers tremendous value to the reader, affording them a better understanding
of the underlying methodology at play. The only downside in providing such
information is that some readers might falsely assume, that the large volume
of information is directly proportional to the complexity of the routine. With
the routine that you are about to learn, this couldn’t be further from the truth.
In light of this, before I provide you with a detailed analysis of the construction
of this effect, I would first like to offer you a brief overview of the method, so
that you can gain a better appreciation as to how simple it is to perform. In
actuality, it is entirely possible for me to sum up the complete method for this
35
Guess Work
routine in one simple sentence -
• Unbeknownst to anyone, the ‘guess’ controls the final placement of

each object.
Below, is a summary of the four simple steps required to make the effect work
-
1. The participant is asked to hide the three objects (one in their hand
and one in each pocket).
2. We now offer someone to take a guess at where the objects are hidden
(to illustrate how difficult this is).
3. We request that the participant swaps any item that was located
correctly, for any of the other items (under the guise of starting over
again).
4. Taking advantage of the information harvested from the guess, we
now reveal where each object is hidden (via a highly efficient fishing
procedure).
Now that you have had a glimpse at just how simple and direct this routine
is in performance, let us now delve a little deeper so that we can understand
the underlying mechanics of the routine. We will then discuss the ways in
which we can identify each of the specific resting places for each object, with
100% accuracy.
Note: For those who may have no interest in the ‘History & Development’
of the effect, please feel free to jump straight to the ‘Step by Step Instruction’.
36
By Michael Murray
History & Development:

Feeling freshly inspired by Manos’ performance I decided that I would
challenge myself to create my own handling and method for this effect. As
is my usual approach when creating effects of this nature, I decided to both
examine and quantify all of the options that would be open to my participant,
if I was to perform the effect for real.
I quickly realised that there were only six different ways in which the objects
could be distributed. The next step was to investigate the statistical chances
of us being able to guess the locations of the three objects with any degree of
success.
Whilst I already understood that any potential guess would fall into one of
three categories, it was the actual statistics and probability of each happening
that I found most interesting. The results of this investigation have been
detailed for you below -
1. The guess could be completely correct with a one in six (16.66%)

chance of happening.
2. The guess could be completely incorrect with a two in six (33.33%)
chance of happening.
3. The guess could be partially correct (only one location is guessed
correctly) with a three in six (50%) chance of happening.
Note: You are not required to memorise any of this information.
Naturally, assuming that the guess was correct, our job would be done, but
this raised the question, how would we handle the other two situations?
Taking a rather counterintuitive approach to answering this question, I
suddenly realised that there was a hidden benefit to be found by guessing
37
Guess Work
everything incorrectly.
Now, although this may sound like some ancient Chinese proverb or
philosophical quote, the actual key to knowing where something is, is to first
understand where it couldn’t be. To help you appreciate this, you only need
to understand that for every incorrect guess, there are only two remaining
places where the object could be hidden.
Eg. If the Key isn’t in the Left Pocket, it has to be in the Right Pocket or the
hand.
The same rule is true for all three items as a collective group. Since no two
items can occupy the same space within the routine, any completely incorrect
guess would, in turn, clue us as to the only two actual arrangements that
could currently be in play (more on this later).
Taking the above into consideration, I realised that we could offer anyone
else in the room to take a guess, safe in the knowledge that they would be
very unlikely to guess correctly. Best of all, providing that the guess was
completely wrong, we would now know, with 100% certainty, that the objects
must be arranged in one of two ways.
Before we go any further, it is important for you to understand that I will also
be teaching you several ways to render the guess completely invisible too.
The Art of Failing:

Hopefully, you now understand the leverage that can be gained from a
completely incorrect guess. The next piece in the puzzle was to find a way to
deal with those situations when the location of one of the items was guessed
38
By Michael Murray
correctly, after all, this situation would arise in 50% of all occasions.
Let me quickly remind you of the three possible scenarios that we could face
in performance -
1. The guess could be completely correct (which is very unlikely).

2. The guess could be completely incorrect.
3. The location of only one item could be guessed correctly (which is
highly likely)
Please remember, that if the participant fails to react to the guess in a positive
fashion, then we have no way of knowing if this is due to situation two or
three. Remember, that at no point in the performance is the participant
requested to give us any information.
Note: We could never be correct on just two items since the third item must
also be correct by default.
In a somewhat serendipitous fashion, I realised that if, after the guess, we

were to ask the participant to swap any item that was successfully located,
for any of the other two items, this would result in the original guess being
completely wrong!
Note: Later, we will discuss the motivation behind this swap and how to hide
its importance within the framework of the routine.
The illustration over the page should help you to understand how this works -
39
Guess Work
Step by Step Instruction:

Now that you are starting to appreciate how this routine has been structured,
let us further examine each step in turn so that you can appreciate the
motivation and subtleties that each step offers.
40
By Michael Murray
The Hiding
Step One:
Although step one is very simple, it is, perhaps, the most important step of
all. Unless the participant is fully convinced that no one could possibly know
the location of each object, this effect will fail (this includes the audience
members, too). As such, it is advisable that the objects are hidden out of the
sight of anyone who may be in the same room.
Note: In actuality, any three objects and locations may be used for this effect.
Once you understand the mechanics behind it, you will appreciate just how
versatile this routine is.
Thankfully, due to the methodology that I have created, the participant has
a completely unrestricted choice as to where to hide each item (with the
exception that one of them must be hidden in their hand, and that the other
two must each go into a different pocket).
Although you may wish to adopt a different presentation for this effect, I
select my participant and have them hide the three objects, under the guise
that I am going to show them the difference between guesswork and intuition.
This framework fits this routine perfectly and provides a perfect justification
for the subsequent guess that is about to take place. With the three objects
successfully hidden, we can then move onto step two…
41
Guess Work
The Guess
Step Two:
In the first step we suggested that we would illustrate the difference between
guesswork and intuition, as such, it is only fitting for us to now illustrate how
unsuccessful a random guess is likely to be.
Since we already know that the chances of being able to guess all three
locations are slim (a one in six chance), we can now have the participant
select any other member of the group to take a guess at where each object is
hidden.
Now, although this instruction is very simple, there are a few important
things to consider before doing so. Firstly, it is imperative, that the original
participant knows where each object is. Therefore, it is wise to ask them to
confirm this before continuing. Secondly, we must ask them not to confirm
aloud, if any of the individually guessed locations are correct, but instead,
simply acknowledge if any of them are correct, in their mind only.
Note: Any mental confirmation, or lack of, will be instrumental in controlling

the final arrangement of the objects in the step that follows.
Since we also refer to the guess as a ‘collective’ guess, rather than three
‘individual’ guesses (one for each object), we also help to prevent the
participant from reacting to any individual item that may have been located
correctly
Whilst remaining truthful to the actual odds of being able to guess all three
locations correctly, I prefer to refer to the Guesser’s chances of being fully
correct as very unlikely rather than a one in six chance. This helps to increase
42
By Michael Murray
the perceived impossibility of both the Guesser’s chances and our own.
Note: I very much doubt that any audience would go to the effort of working
out the statistical chances of any random guess being correct.
We will now direct all attention to the Guesser and will ask the following
three questions, in a very specific order -
1. “Which item do you believe is hidden in the Left Pocket?”

2. “Which item do you believe is hidden in the Hand?”
3. “Which item do you believe is hidden in the Right Pocket?”
If we were to consider that the hand is the middle location, then we are simply
having each item guessed as we work through each location in a Left to Right
fashion (Left position = Left Pocket, Middle position = Hand, and Right
position = Right Pocket). Since we will always be asking the exact same
questions in the same order, it will subsequently become far easier for us to
remember the Guesser’s replies in order, too.
Note: From a technical standpoint, we only really need to remember the

order of the first two objects guessed, since the item in the last place will
automatically be recalled as a result.
For those who may be concerned about remembering the order of two or
three objects, I am happy to report that it is entirely possible to perform this
routine without any memory work at all (more on this a little later).
Now, although it is unlikely that all three items would be guessed correctly, we
can’t rule out this possibility. Should this happen, then it is extremely likely
that the Hider will react in a visible fashion, in which case, you must first
congratulate the Guesser on their blind luck (and have them acknowledge it
43
Guess Work
as such), this can then be followed in one of two different ways -
• You may wish to start over again and offer the Guesser another chance,
safe in the knowledge that the chances of them being completely correct
twice in a row is extremely remote (a one in thirty-six chance).
• Alternatively, you may wish to request that the Hider move all three
objects into completely different locations so that you can continue with
the routine. The resulting position for each object would now be akin to
the original guess being completely wrong (this is exactly where we need
them to be, and as such, we can proceed immediately to the final step).
Note: Given the statistical chances of a correct guess taking place, I always
trust that if the participant does not visibly react, then the guess was either
completely wrong or partially incorrect. You could, if you wish, ask the
Hider to confirm that the guess was not completely correct (if you opt to do
this, please caution them not to reveal which, if any, locations were guessed
correctly).
Burying the Guess/Starting

Over
Step Three:
Now that the guess has been made (and we have committed the order of
the guessed items to memory) we must now trivialise its importance, thus
rendering it psychologically invisible (so far as being able to offer us any help
in locating the items). Thankfully, this is very easy for us to do…
44
By Michael Murray
Firstly, assuming that the Hider failed to react positively to the collective
guess (as will be the case the vast majority of the time) we can truthfully state,
that whilst chances of guessing the location of all three items as a collective
group was pretty slim, there is a chance that one of the individual locations
may have been guessed correctly.
In a seeming effort to keep things fair, we will now turn away from the Hider,
as we suggest -
“By the way, if the locations of any of those items were guessed correctly,
please take this moment to swap the item that was correct, with any one of
the others, before we continue.”
Note: If the original guess was completely wrong, then the Hider won’t move
anything, however, if one of the locations was guessed correctly, the Hider
will now swap that item with any of the others (the result being akin to the
original guess being completely wrong). In essence, both situations will
result in the exact same outcome.
After allowing a few moments for the Hider to follow this instruction, you
will now ask -
“Is it safe for me to turn back around?”
Once they have replied positively, you will then turn to face them, and suggest
-
“Perfect, so before we continue, can you just confirm that I couldn’t know if
you switched anything or not, and even if you did make a switch, there would
be no way for me to know which specific items were moved and where any of
them ended up, true?”
45
Guess Work
The Hider will confirm.
“Essentially we are starting afresh…”
Note: Although the above statement is not entirely truthful, it is largely

based upon fact, therefore, it will be readily accepted as such. By virtue of
agreeing to this statement, your participant must also accept (albeit on a
subconscious level) that the prior guess could play no part in helping us to
locate the objects.
Let us now move on to the fourth and final step, where we will finally get to
examine the hidden benefits that the Guesser has offered us…
The Rotation & Reveal

Step Four:
Whilst it may appear that there has been a lot of text to get to this point, in
actual performance, the only actions to have taken place so far, are as follows
-
• Step One - The items were hidden
• Step Two - A guess was made, this was remembered by the mentalist,
and the Hider was asked to mentally note how successful it was.
• Step Three - The Hider was given the opportunity to swap the location
of any successfully guessed item for another, in an effort to convince
them that we were starting afresh.
As mentioned earlier within this book, the completion of ‘Step Three’ will
always result in each object resting in a completely different location to
46
By Michael Murray
those which were guessed a few moments earlier. Having remembered the
three objects in the order that they were guessed, we must now identify the
two possible arrangements that could have been made. Thankfully, this is
very easy to do:
We must first imagine that the guessed order is cyclical (in a rotational sense).
Rotating the guessed order one step to the right or one step to the left, will
provide us with the only two arrangements of the objects that could be in
play.
The illustration below, offers an example of a typical guess, along with the
only physical arrangements that could be made as a result of the requested
switch -
Using the illustration above as an example, you will see that in the first box,
the Guesser named the objects in the following order - Key, Banknote then
Coin. Since the Hider was asked to swap any item that was guessed correctly,
they are forced into one of the two resulting situations as illustrated by the
images on the right.
47
Guess Work
It is very important to recognise that whilst the physical locations of each

item differs between each of the two possible arrangements, the relative order
of each object will always remain unchanged. To help you to understand
this, please consider the following…
Irrespective of where the first guessed item is located (in this instance, the
Key), provided that we work in a clockwise direction from this location,
the remaining items will always be found in the same order that they were
guessed in (i.e., the Banknote will always be next, followed by the Coin).
In summary, the first item to be guessed will always reside in either the second
or third location. Once we have identified which of the two it is, we can then
move through each of the remaining positions in a cyclical fashion to locate
each the remaining items. Subsequently, we only ever need to identify the
location of one single object to be able to reveal the locations of all three e.g.,
If we have identified that the first guessed item is in the second location (the
Hand), then we will also know that the second guessed item is in the third
location, and by default, the third item must be in the first location.
Only once you understand this concept, will you really begin to appreciate
just how simple this is to perform. To help cement this concept, please
examine the illustration over the page which features a completely different
guess (so that you can appreciate how the exact same rules apply). You will
also notice that we have replaced the triangle with the actual locations for
each object so that you can better appreciate how the physical locations of
each item are affected.
The left and right pockets as labelled below are from the Hiders’ perspective.
Since we will never be referring to their hand as left or right at any point, it
does not matter which one they use to hide an object in. In our mind, we will
only ever consider the Hand to be the middle location.
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By Michael Murray
Note: Incidentally, should you choose to point to the Hiders’ pockets as you
refer to them, please remember, that if they are standing opposite to us, then
their left and right pockets will be the mirror opposite to our own.
Hopefully, it should now be clear that the memory work is made far easier by
always asking for the guesses to be made in a left to right fashion (first asking
them to guess what is in the Left Pocket, then what is in the Hand, and then
finally, what is in the Right Pocket?).
I trust that you now appreciate just how important the guess is within the
framework of this routine. Not only does it control the end location for
each object, but it also helps us to identify the order in which they have been
distributed, too (since the relative order remains identical to the guess).
49
Guess Work
So far, the only thing that has happened is, as follows -
The participant hid three objects, then someone took a guess at where each
object was located, and any successfully guessed item was subsequently
swapped with another.
Having mentally identified the two possible end positions for the objects,
based upon the guess, we are now all set to determine which of the two
situations is presently in play. There are two methods that I personally use
to do this. The first relies on the wonderful, ‘Think the Answer’ technique,
that Manos created. Coupling Manos’ ending with my routine resulted in a
match made in heaven, the process is almost non-existent, and best of all, the
routine can be performed in any given situation, even over the phone.
The second method is my absolute favourite to perform and pushes the

boundaries of this routine further than I could ever have hoped for. Not
only does this take advantage of the method that I created, it actually pushes
it even further, by both eliminating the guess and allowing you to perform
it without asking any questions at all. In short, after hiding the three objects
you will be able to tell your participant where each of them is hidden. In
short, it is perhaps the cleanest and most direct piece of prop-less mentalism
that you will ever learn.
To keep things in chronological order, let me first detail how to make use of
Manos’ ending within the framework of this routine. To do this, we will take
advantage of the following key pieces of information -
• The first guessed object can’t be in the first location i.e., the Hiders’
Left Pocket (since they would have swapped it if it was).
• The second object could be in the third location i.e., the Hiders’ Right
Pocket (since this is one of the two possible positions that it could rest
in).
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By Michael Murray
Using the above knowledge, we will suggest to the participant (the Hider)
that we are about to ask them two simple ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ questions, however, we
caution them that they are not to answer them out loud. Instead, they are
only to think the answer in their mind. The two questions we will ask are, as
follows -
1) “Is the X in your Left Pocket?” (where X represents the first guessed
object)
2) “Is the X in your Right Pocket?” (where X represents the second guessed
object)
Since we will always know in advance that the Hider will think of the word
‘No’ in response to the first question, we only need to know if they thought
of the same answer to the second question, to know how they answered it.
Taking advantage of Manos’ technique, we will now suggest -
“That’s interesting. Now, be honest, you didn’t just think of the same answer
to these two questions, did you?”
• If the Hider confirms that they did answer the same way both times,
then they must have answered with a ‘No’ each time.
• If the Hider confirms that they did not answer the same way both times,
then they must have answered with a ‘No’ to the first question, then ‘Yes’
to the second.
No matter how the Hider responds, their reply to this question will now
provide us with all the information we need to reveal the location of each
object. Each of the two possible arrangements can be identified, as follows -
• An identical ‘No/No’ answer, tells us that the first guessed object is in
51
Guess Work
the last location (the Right Pocket)

• An alternating ‘No/Yes’ answer, tells us that the first guessed object is in
the middle location (the Hand)
Let us examine the reasoning behind this. If their answer indicates that the
second guessed object is in the last position (the Right Pocket), then the first
guessed object must be in the Hand (since we already know that it can’t be
in the Left Pocket). If the second guessed object is not in the last position
(the Right Pocket), then the first guessed object must occupy that position.
As discussed earlier, since we will now know the resting location for the first
object, we can now work in a clockwise fashion through the remaining two
locations, to reveal the second and third guessed objects in order.
So, in the instance that the first guessed object is located in the Hand, then
the second guessed object must be in the Right Pocket and the third guessed
item must, therefore, be in the Left Pocket. Conversely, in the instance that
the first guessed object is located in the Right Pocket, working in a clockwise
fashion, would reveal that the second guessed item must be in the Left Pocket
and the third guessed item must, therefore, be in the Hand.
Additional Thoughts:
Since the answer to the first question will always be a ‘No’, you may wish
to reverse the order of the two questions to help further layer the method
(this does not hinder the workings of the effect either way). Also, since the
participant’s response allows us to identify how they answered each question
in their mind, you may wish to reveal the specific answers that they were just
thinking of, as an added reveal.
52
Chain Reaction
By Michael Murray
Chain Reaction
Introduction:
I sincerely hope that you have enjoyed all that you have read so far and am
happy to report that your little journey with me is not yet over. The approach
that follows not only represents the pinnacle of my thinking on this subject
but also fulfils my original goal of being able to do this for real (or as close to
real, as is possible).
The approach that follows brings with it so many benefits to the performer,
not only does it replace the need for the guesswork to take place, it also
removes the requirement to ask any questions at all. Oh, and you will not
be required to memorise anything on the fly either. In short, the participant
hides three objects and you can simply tell them where each item is hidden.
Sounds impossible, doesn’t it?
Now, before we spill the beans on what has quickly become one of my
favourite effects to perform, it is vital that you have a good understanding
of the mechanics used within the earlier approach. Provided that you
understand the way in which the guess control’s the final placement of each
object (into one of two possible orders), then you are now ready to learn
‘Chain Reaction’.
Method & Performance:

I am very happy to inform you that the following handling is, perhaps, the
easiest of them all to learn. To begin, you will request that the participant
locates a Key, a Banknote and a Coin. You will suggest to them that you
would like them to hide each of the three objects, with the only stipulation
being, that they must place one of the objects in their Left Pocket, one in
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By Michael Murray
their Right Pocket and that they keep the remaining object hidden in their
Hand.
After they have hidden the objects and confirmed that no one could know
where each item is located, you will openly suggest -
“As impossible as it may sound, I am now going to tell you exactly where each
object is hidden, your only job is to think of the word ‘yes’ if I get any of these
locations correct.”
After a moments concentration, you will suggest -
“The Key is in your Left Pocket, the Banknote is in your Hand and the Coin
is in your Right Pocket…”
Upon saying this, one of two things will happen -
Situation One:
Your participant will react in a very positive fashion, thus indicating that you
got them all correct (this has a one in six chance of happening and is very
unlikely). If this happens, you can claim full credit for nailing all three and
can further suggest that you could repeat this all day. To prove these claims,
you will now request that the participant re-hide each object in a completely
different location. Here it is wise to recap the order that they just hid the
objects in so that they can avoid placing any of them back into the same
position. Having done that, you can move straight on to ‘The Reveal’.
Situation Two:
Your participant will not react, this is the more likely situation and we will
55
Chain Reaction
immediately follow-up by suggesting - “Hmmm, you are far more difficult

to read than I first thought, would you mind if we start over and try this
in a different way?” Since your participant has not confirmed or denied
any success at this moment, they will readily accept this and await further
instruction. We will now turn away as we suggest - “If you did think ‘yes’
in your mind to any of those items, please swap that item for any one of the
others, before we continue.”
We will now re-affirm that we could not know anything at this point, by
suggesting - “Perfect, so before we continue, can you just confirm that I
couldn’t know if you switched anything or not, and even if you did make
a switch, there would be no way for me to know which specific items were
moved or where any of them ended up, true?” Once the participant has
confirmed this, we can then move onto ‘The Reveal’.
There are several benefits to the above scripting that I am very proud of.
Firstly, we have the ability to claim a full hit right from the start. Secondly, we
are afforded the option of retracting this statement in the event that it doesn’t
hit (seemingly without having gained any knowledge from it). Subsequently,
the switching process will only ever be seen as a means of wiping the slate
clean to start over.
Yet another benefit to this approach is the ability to call out the exact same
objects in the exact same order each and every time we perform it. This, in
turn, allows us to know in advance what the two resulting situations could
be. In light of this, there is nothing to memorise on the fly, leaving us to focus
all of our attention on the performance.
Note: I always use the following memory aid when using a Key, a Banknote
and Coin. Firstly, I consider the Key to represent the letter A (since the
letters A and K both look and sound very similar), I recall the Banknote as B
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By Michael Murray
(due to the first letter of the word) and the Coin represents the letter C (due
to the first letter in that word). In this respect, we are always calling out the
objects in A, B, C order.
The Reveal:
Unless you were successful in nailing all three items from the start, your
participant should readily accept that the initial statement was nothing more
than a false start (especially after they were given the opportunity to swap
any successfully located items). In actuality, we are already so far ahead of
the game.
At this stage in the routine, we already know that the objects must now be
arranged in one of the following ways -
• Either the Coin is in the Left Pocket, the Key is in the Hand and the
Banknote is in the Right Pocket.
• Or, the Banknote is in the Left Pocket, the Coin is in the Hand and the
Key is in the Right Pocket.
Taking into account the fact that we suggested that we were going to try a
different approach, we will now proceed, as follows -
“Contrary to my first impressions, I believe that you are more of a visual

thinker, so could you please focus your full attention on the object that is
hidden in your Hand. I would like you to visualise this item in your mind
to the best of your ability…Ok, I am just going to say something to you…the
Key…(pause)…”
Due to the order in which we first called out each object and the subsequent
57
Chain Reaction
switching of any correct item, the participant could only ever be holding the
Key or the Coin in their Hand. If the participant reacts when we name the
Key, then it will appear that we have been entirely successful in reading their
thoughts. If this happens, we are now free to reveal that the Banknote is in
their Right Pocket and that the Coin is in their Left Pocket.
Conversely, if we do not get any reaction from them when we name the Key,
then this will indicate that the Coin must be in their Hand. In this instance,
we must continue by naming the other two objects, as follows -
“…the Banknote…the Coin…Perfect, now focus your thoughts on the item

that is in your Right Pocket and visualise this item for me as best you can...
Perfect!”
Notice, how we never quantify what we are about to say, we never state that
we will be saying just one object, and so, in the event that the participant does
not react to the Key, they are never any the wiser that we have just harvested
the last piece of knowledge we need to reveal the locations of all three items.
A none reaction to the Key will indicate to us that the Key is in the Right
Pocket, the Banknote is in the Left Pocket and it is the Coin that is in the
Hand.
If you read through the above approach for a second time, you will notice that
we never guess (since we are always the one to dismiss the original statement,
without asking for any confirmation), we also never ask any questions, nor
do we ever request the participant to say anything, at all.
All that is required to reveal the locations is to read any positive reaction
from the participant at the two key points in the routine. We either nail all
three locations right at the very beginning, or we read their reaction to the
item that they hold in their Hand, and our job is done. It really does not get
any cleaner than this!
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By Michael Murray
Food for Thought:

No Memory:
Providing that you have decided to make the guess yourself, you may wish
to name the objects in alphabetical order, size order or perhaps colour order.
This will make the memory work even easier on your part.
Mirror Mirror:
Bringing out a duplicate set of objects not only allows us to demonstrate what
we would like the participant to do in a visual fashion, but also affords us the
ability to place the objects onto the table in the same order that the guess was
made. Subsequently, we never have to remember the guess (as it is recorded
visually). Incidentally, this also makes the two possible resulting orders easy
to identify.
Note: To identify the two possible resulting orders, we need only imagine
that the first item is moved to the end, or, the last item is moved to the start.
Mental Acknowledgement:
It is always wise to request that the Hider thinks of the word ‘Yes’ if any of the
locations are guessed correctly. This subsequently makes it easier for them to
know which objects (if any) will need to be switched.
Lucky Strike:
If you suspect that all three locations were guessed correctly, yet the participant
didn’t fully react as expected, we must caution them to swap any item that
was guessed correctly, but also caution them that if all three were correct, we
59
Chain Reaction
wish for them to change the places of all three objects. If this situation ever
arises, I am always careful to reiterate the guessed order again, so that the
Hider can confirm that everything has been moved.
Poker Face:
As an additional motivation for having the participant swap any item that
was guessed correctly, we may wish to suggest that some people believe
that we are reading the Hider’s facial reactions as each guess is made. This
perfectly justifies the subsequent request for them to switch any item that was
guessed correctly.
Out of Order:
If you are performing this on the fly, you may wish to have the participant
hide the objects without telling you which three objects are in play. Once the
items are hidden, you can then ask them to tell you which items they have
chosen to use but to tell you them out of order. As a result of doing this, no
switch is required and we can move straight on to the reveal.
Just Ask:
As an alternative to having anyone guess the location of each object, you may
just wish to ask them. In this instance, the participant is given the opportunity
to either lie or tell the truth as they reveal each location in turn. Having
seemingly gleaned the information that you need from their response, you
would then request that they swap any item that they told the truth on.
Uncertainty:
If you are concerned that your participant may not remember where each
object is located, you may wish for them to hide one object in each hand and
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By Michael Murray
place one in their pocket. This way, they will be able to feel which object is in
each hand.
Note: If you choose to do this, the pocket will then become the middle
location.
The Big Reveal:

Since the guess dictates the two possible outcomes, knowing the guess in
advance can afford us the opportunity to predict the final outcome via the use
of two outs. You may wish to take advantage of the same method that Manos
uses within his routine. Rather than rely on two outs myself, I prefer instead,
to write one of the two possible outcomes on the back of the Banknote that
I use in performance. If this outcome lands (which it will 50% of the time)
we can then reveal this as a kicker ending with no other outs in play. Special
thanks to Mark Chandaue for the inspiration behind this.
Right to Remain Silent:

Taking inspiration from a wonderful presentation by Luke Turner (from
his Pin Project e-book). You may wish to suggest that the participant was
involved in an imaginary crime (the theft of three valuable objects). You
further suggest that you are going to interrogate them and that they are going
to exercise their right to remain silent. You will then act as the interrogator
and claim that you know that they stole the objects before stating where you
think they have hidden them.
You will then turn away, suggesting that they must take that opportunity to
thwart you by swapping any item that was successfully located. You will then
be able to prove your deductive/sleuthing abilities by revealing the locations
of the hidden objects. Thus, solving the crime of the century. As a side note,
this option also allows you to predict the outcome (since you are in full
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Chain Reaction
control of the ‘guess’). You may also wish to refer to the prediction as hard
evidence (or written admission of guilt) as part of the final reveal.
Note: The ‘Right to Remain Silent’ presentation works beautifully with

Manos’ ‘Think the Answer’ ending.
One More Thing:

Due to the foundational statistics that drive this routine, you may choose to
take advantage of the following fact. Provided that the initial guess is wrong,
this would leave a 60% chance that the location of one item was guessed
correctly. As such, you may wish to claim this as a hit. To do this, after
the guess is made, we could openly suggest that they only managed to get
one item correct (with a high probability of being right on this). We would
then ask that they switch this item with any of the others, before proceeding
further (which would make logical sense to do so).
In the event that the Hider denied that we were correct, we could immediately
conclude the routine without the requirement for any switch, safe in the
knowledge that there were only two possible situations in play. A special
thanks to Christian Grace for highlighting this to me.
Influenced by Manos:
Manos offered the following variant to accompany my methodology. Rather
than inviting anyone to guess, you will instead, suggest that you attempted to
influence the participant into hiding the objects in three particular locations.
After calling out any memorised order/placement for each object, you
can either; claim the hit for being successful (providing that all three were
correct), or, you can congratulate them on their higher level of thinking, then
have them swap any location that was successfully influenced so that you can
attempt to read them and locate each item.
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By Michael Murray
Note: Performing this way, will afford you the benefit of being able to call out
the exact same order each time. As such, you will always know in advance,
which two possible outcomes could be generated.
Rock, Paper, Scissors:

Why not have three participants each decide upon a different throw (for an
imaginary game of Rock, Paper, Scissors). We can then use the exact same
techniques as detailed above, to identify who is thinking of which symbol.
Doing so would then allow us to beat all three players in succession.
Note: In this instance, we are replacing the three different locations with
three different players.
Three Cup Monte:

For an interesting variation on this same effect, why not have a participant
hide three different objects under three cups. You can then perform the exact
same actions to determine which cup each object is hidden under.
Three Object Psychometry:

Three participants could each supply an object, and it is your job to return
each item to its rightful owner.
The Decoy:
Ian ‘Rasp’ Cheetham, suggests having the participant write some secret
information on a business card which is then folded into quarters. This
information could then be peeked, via the Acidus technique, as the participant
is instructed to number the card. By having them number the other cards, you
can not only be seen to zero in on where the hidden information is located
63
Chain Reaction
but also have the ability to reveal this information as a kicker ending to
the routine.
The Light Switch:

The following idea seemingly allows for a silent guess to be made, and
yet, still controls the final arrangement of the objects. To prepare for this
variant, you will first fill out a number of business cards, in the following
way (see the first illustration below). Having done this, you will take one
of the pre-filled cards and circle one object for each location, as in the
second illustration.
1. 2.
In performance, we can now hand one of the first business cards to a
second participant so that they may circle the items that they believe
are hidden in each location. Via a top-change, Himber Wallet, or other
similar methods, we can then swap this card for the one that was pre-
circled by us.
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By Michael Murray
By handing the switched card to the Hider they would, unknowingly, make
the relevant switches that would bring the final arrangement of the objects
into one of two pre-known patterns. After making the relevant switches in
secret, they could then destroy the card, which in turn, would remove all
evidence of any foul play.
Using the second illustration (above) as an example, you will note, that this
would force one of the following two arrangements -
• Possibility One - The Coin will be in the Left Pocket, the Key will be in
the Hand, and the Banknote will be in the Right Pocket.
• Possibility Two - The Banknote will be in the Left Pocket, the Coin will
be in the Hand, and the Key will be in the Right Pocket.
Taking Advantage:
Whenever we are using Manos’ ‘Think the Answer’ technique, we will always
know that a ‘Yes’ (that both answers were the same) reply indicates that the
participant thought the answer ‘No’ twice in a row. Also, depending on the
order of the questioning, we will also know the specific ‘Yes/No’ or ‘No/Yes’
combination that the participant used in those instances where they replied
with a ‘No’ (that both answers were different). Depending upon the routine
that we are performing, you may wish to reveal how the participant answered
each question in their mind as an additional reveal.
Note: Revealing how they answered each time, helps to compound the fact
that we must have known what they were thinking each time.
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Chain Reaction
66
Remote Control
By Michael Murray
Remote Control
Introduction:
What follows is a rather fun variation of this plot that can be performed
remotely (via any audio or video calling medium). What makes this
approach so unique is that it requires zero memory work, and best of all,
your participant does almost all of the work themselves. In addition to the
three objects that they will be using for the routine, your participant will also
require three business cards and a pen.
Note: If you wish, you can follow along with the instructions that will be
given to the participant, so that you can try this for yourself.
If you choose to perform this via video chat rather than an audio call, then
you must ensure that the participant angles their camera so that their table is
hidden from view.

We will begin by instructing our participant to line up the three objects across
the table in any order that they like. Following this, we will request that they
write the names of the three objects that they are using on the business cards
(one item per card). After doing this, they are instructed to turn the cards so
that the writing faces the floor, before giving the cards a casual mix.
Stating that it is very unlikely that anyone could guess the order of the three
objects, we offer to simulate this by having them drop a single business card
(facedown) behind each item. It really does not matter which card goes
where. Cautioning them not to react in any way, we will now invite the
participant to turn each of the cards face up so that they can check their
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By Michael Murray
success at matching up the items.
Suggesting that whilst it is unlikely that all three items have been paired
correctly, there is a strong chance that one of them does. So that we can’t take
any advantage of this fact, we will now request that the participant either
swap any correctly paired object with another or if they prefer, they can swap
the correctly paired card with another card, instead. We must caution them
to keep any actions that they make, a secret.
Note: We can even suggest that in the event no items match, they may wish to
mime/pretend to move some items around so that we could not know if any
switch was made or not.
Before proceeding, we must stress that there could be no way for us to know
if a switch took place or not, and even if they did swap anything around, it
would be impossible for us to know which items were switched and where
they ended up. In other words, we can’t know the present order of the cards
and the objects.
Note: The above is perfectly true, save for the fact that we now know that the
order of the cards must now differ (in one of two possible ways) to the order
of the physical items.
The participant will readily accept this as fact, leaving us primed to blow their
minds…
We will now have the participant gather up the cards in the following way:
working in a left to right fashion, the participant will pick up each card in
turn before dropping it face down into their Left Hand.
Note: Gathering the cards in this fashion will succeed in reversing their order
i.e., the top card of the stack will be the card that was formerly placed behind
69
Remote Control
the object on the right.
Once the cards have been gathered, we will pause in thought for a moment
before suggesting that we wish to push ourselves to the limit by working
with two cards rather than three. Upon saying this, we will request that the
participant places the top card of the stack back onto the table.
Note: The true purpose of dealing one card back to the table is to help
disguise where it originally came from. Small subtleties like this help to layer
the effect, thus preventing the method from being backtracked.
We are now going to capitalise on Manos’ wonderful ‘Think the Answer’ idea
to provide us with the only piece of information that we need to conclude the
routine.
You will now request that they take a peek at the object that is written on
the top card of the pair that they hold. After they have done this they are
instructed to simply think of the word ‘Yes’ if this matches with the physical
object on their right. Conversely, if it doesn’t match this item, they are
instead, asked to think of the word ‘No’.
Requesting that they drop this card facedown onto the tabled card, we now
ask them to take a peek at the object that is written on the remaining card
that they hold. This time they are asked to think of the word ‘Yes’ if this
matches with the physical object on their left. Conversely, if it doesn’t match
this item, they are instead, asked to think of the word ‘No’.
Once they have done this, we will request that they drop this card facedown
onto the tabled pair. Smiling triumphantly, we will now suggest -
each time, did you?”
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By Michael Murray
No matter how the participant responds we will simply acknowledge their

reply (as per Manos’ original suggestion) before continuing -
“Before we go any further I would just like to commit to something…Can

you please pick up the stack of cards as a group, and whilst ensuring that the
written side stays facing the floor, I would like you to deal them out in the
following way…”
What happens next will be dictated by the answer that they gave to the
question above. Each instance is handled, as follows -
If they have told us that they answered the same way each time we will now
instruct them to deal the three business cards in the following way -
“I would like you to place the top card behind the object on your Right. I
would like you to place the next card behind the object on your Left, and
finally, place the remaining card behind the object in the Middle.”
However, if they have told us that they answered a different way each time we
will now instruct them to deal the three business cards, as follows -
“I would like you to place the top card behind the Middle object. I would
like you to place the next card behind the object on your Right, and finally,
place the remaining card behind the object on your Left.”
Pause for Thought:

Other than delivering the instructions to our participant, the only thing that
we must remember is, the following -
• A ‘Yes’ to the question = First card dealt to the Right and the remaining
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Remote Control
objects are dealt in a clockwise fashion i.e., ‘Right’ then ‘Left’ then
‘Middle’ (If we think that a ‘Yes’ means we are ‘Right’ then you will easily
remember this pairing).
• A ‘No’ to the question = First card dealt to the Middle and the remaining
objects are dealt in a clockwise fashion i.e., ‘Middle’ then ‘Right’ then
‘Left’.
Having had the cards dealt to the table in the appropriate order, you will now
continue, as follows -
“Now that I have committed to my thoughts, I won’t ask you to change the
order of the objects or cards at all. Before we reveal the cards themselves,
I am curious to find out how successful you were in pairing up the cards
yourself?”
Allow the participant to reply -
You will now pass a remark regarding their success or lack of, ensuring that
you mention that when they attempted to pair up the cards they had the
luxury of being able to see the order of the objects themselves (something
that we were not privy to). I always like to ask them how successful they
think they would have been if they hadn’t been able to see the objects or cards
too. After doing this we are then set to conclude the routine, in the following
way -
“Now for a little confession, I have actually been attempting to read your
thoughts, responses and reactions throughout this entire exercise, and
whilst I was initially dubious of my success, you have just confirmed to me
that I have indeed been fully successful in doing so and the proof of this
claim is sitting on the table right in front of you. Please, turn over the cards
and I think you will find that it’s three for three!”
72
By Michael Murray
Note: To maximise the impact of the reveal, you may wish to have the
participant turn over one of the cards first to reveal the first match, and then
follow this by turning over the two remaining cards together.
73
Remote Control
74
In Two Minds
By Michael Murray
In Two Minds
Introduction:
Drawing inspiration from an earlier release of mine, entitled ‘Trident’, I
realised that it was possible to give the illusion that we knew the specific
objects that were in the participants’ mind, too. In order to do this, we
will require the help of a second participant. The first participant will be
nominated as the Hider, and the second participant will act as the initial
Guesser/Card Holder.
Note: Unlike the previous version, it is important that we know which objects
the participant will be using for this routine. This variant also plays better for
a larger group (due to the dynamics of the end reveal).

The first participant is asked to hide the three objects in the usual fashion
(one in each pocket and one in their hand). As they do this, we must caution
them that no one else must see where each item is placed. To keep the second
participant occupied, we will request that they fill out the three business
cards, writing the name of one object on each card.
After turning the cards, writing side down, the Card Holder is asked to give
the packet a casual mix. After squaring the packet they are asked to display
the top card of the packet to the Hider before placing it writing side down
onto the table. Cautioning them not to react in any way, the Hider is asked
to make a mental note if the item that was written on the card matched with
the object that is hidden in their Left Pocket.
The Card Holder is now asked to display the next card of the packet to the
76
By Michael Murray
Hider before placing it on top of the tabled card. This time, the Hider is
asked to make a mental note if the item written on the second card matched
with the object that is hidden in their Hand.
Continuing in the same fashion as before, we request that the final card is
shown to the Hider before being dropped onto the tabled pair. This time, the
Hider is asked to make a mental note if the item that was written on the last
card matched with the object that is hidden in their Right Pocket.
Note: This process will succeed in reversing the order of the cards.
Having taken a mental note of any matches, we will now pass comment on
the likely hood of being able to guess the locations of all three objects at
random and how it is more likely that they only managed to get one item
correct, at best. Suiting actions with words, the Hider is now asked to make
any appropriate swaps in the usual fashion.
Note: Essentially, the alternative handling above, closely mimics the original
with the exception that the items have been physically hidden, and the
simulated guess is made as the cards are dealt into a facedown pile (rather
than a row).
Before proceeding, we must stress that there could be no way for us to know
if a switch took place or not, and even if they did swap anything around, it
would be impossible for us to know which items were switched and where
they ended up. In other words, we can’t know the present order of the cards
and the objects.
After allowing the Hider to swap any items, where required, we will now have
the Card Holder pick up the cards as a collective group in preparation for us
to demonstrate our skills.
77
In Two Minds
Once the cards have been gathered, we will pause in thought for a moment
before suggesting that we wish to push ourselves to the limit, by working
with two cards, rather than three. Upon saying this, we will request that the
participant places the top card of the stack back onto the table.
Note: The true purpose of dealing one card back to the table is to help
disguise where it originally came from. Small subtleties like this help to layer
the effect, thus preventing the method from being backtracked.
We are now going to capitalise on Manos’ wonderful ‘Think the Answer’ idea
to provide us with the only piece of information that we need to conclude the
routine, however, please take note that the actions that take place during this
process, differ from the prior handling.
We will now request that the Card Holder take the top card of the pair that
they hold into their Right Hand and that they keep the remaining card in
their Left Hand. We will now request that they display the card in their
Right hand to the Hider, who is then instructed to simply think of the word
‘Yes’ if the object written on that card matches with the physical object in
their Right Pocket. Conversely, if it doesn’t match this item, they are instead,
asked to think of the word ‘No’.
Whilst keeping the card in their Right Hand, they are now asked to show the
card that is in their Left Hand to the Hider. This time, the Hider is asked
to think of the word ‘Yes’ if the object written on that card matches with the
physical object in their Left Pocket. Conversely, if it doesn’t match this item,
they are instead, asked to think of the word ‘No’.
Note: Essentially, we are asking them to compare the Card Holder’s right-
hand card with the object in their Right Pocket, and the Card Holder’s left-
hand card with the object in their Left Pocket. Due to the pairings, this
should be very easy to remember.
78
By Michael Murray
Once they have done this, we will immediately suggest -
each time, did you?”
No matter how the participant responds, we must act a little uncertain

about knowing anything at this point, and in a seeming effort to change the
approach, we will now continue in one of the following ways (as dictated by
their answer to the question above) -
The Hider Answers ‘Yes’:

A ‘Yes’ answer, indicates that the card in the card holder’s Right Hand must
match the object in the Hider’s Left Pocket. Likewise, the card in the Card
Holder’s Left Hand must match the object in the Hider’s Right Pocket. In
other words, the left and right cards are simply mismatched with the physical
objects.
You will now request that the Card Holder visualises the object that is in his
Left Pocket to the best of his ability, we will then ask that the Hider visualises
the item that is in their Hand to the best of their ability (knowing that these
items won’t match). After a moments concentration, we request that the
Card Holder sticks with the object that is in their mind and that the Hider
now shifts their focus so that they can visualise the item that is in their Right
Pocket (knowing that these items will match).
We will now make the first reveal, by suggesting -
“That is perfect, this is working much better, you are both visualising the
exact same item. On the count of three, I would like you both to call out the
item that you are presently thinking of…One…Two…Three…”
79
In Two Minds
Since both participants will now name the exact same object, you will get
the credit for knowing the exact object that was in their minds. You will
now request that the Card Holder visualises the object that is in their Right
Hand. After suggesting that you know exactly which object they are thinking
of, you now ask the Hider to visualise the item that is in their Left Pocket.
Once again, you will suggest that the two participants are thinking of the
exact same item. Going further than that, you also suggest that the object
that is in the Hider’s Hand is the one that matches the card that is on the
table.
To couple the final reveal together, we will now have the two participants
name the objects that they are visualising, in unison. The moment that you
hear the second object called out, we will, by default, know which item is
in their Hand (since we knew the three objects that were being used in this
demonstration). Armed with this knowledge, we will instantly follow up by
stating -
“And, if you now open your Hand, you will be holding the X (where X is the
remaining object) which matches perfectly with the card on the table!”
The Hider Answers ‘No’:

A ‘No’ answer, indicates that the card in the Card Holder’s Right Hand must
match the object in the Hider’s Right Pocket. Likewise, the card in the Card
Holder’s Left Hand must match the object in the Hider’s Hand.
You will now request that the Card Holder visualises the object that is in his
Left Hand to the best of his ability, we will then ask that the Hider visualises
the item that is in their Left Pocket to the best of their ability (knowing that
these items won’t match). After a moments concentration, we request that
80
By Michael Murray
the Card Holder sticks with the object that is in their mind and that the
Hider now shifts their focus so that they can visualise the item that is in their
Hand (knowing that these items will match).
We will now make the first reveal, by suggesting -
“That is perfect, this is working much better, you are both visualising the
exact same item. On the count of three, I would like you both to call out the
item that you are presently thinking of…One…Two…Three…”
Since both participants will now name the exact same object, you will get
the credit for knowing the exact object that was in their minds. You will
now request that the Card Holder visualises the object that is in their Right
Hand. After suggesting that you know exactly which object they are thinking
of, you now ask the Hider to visualise the item that is in their Right Pocket.
Once again, you will suggest that the two participants are thinking of the
exact same item. Going further than that, you also suggest that the object
that is in the Hider’s Left Pocket is the one that matches the card that is on
the table.
To couple the final reveal together, we will now have the two participants
name the objects that they are visualising, in unison. The moment that you
hear the second object called out, we will, by default, know which item is in
their Left Pocket (since we knew the three objects that were being used in
this demonstration). Armed with this knowledge, we will instantly follow up
by stating -
“And, show everyone that you have the X (where X is the remaining object)
in your Left Pocket which matches perfectly with the card on the table!”
81
In Two Minds
Alternative Approach:
Below I offer a slightly different approach to both displaying the cards and
concluding the routine. If you are using this approach, you can follow the
original handling up until the Hider is asked the ‘Yes/No’ question.
The only exception is that the two cards must be dealt back to the table by the
Card Holder after being displayed to the Hider (rather than placing one in
each hand). With the three cards resting in a pile on the table, and the ‘Yes/
No’ question answered, we can now proceed as follows -
Firstly, we must identify which of the tabled cards will match the object that
is in the Hider’s Hand. Thankfully, this is very easy for us to do.
• If the Hider responded with a ‘Yes’ to the same/different answer question,

then we will know that the bottom card of the tabled pile will match with
the object in their Hand.
• If, on the other hand, the Hider responded with a ‘No’ to the same/
different answer question, then we will know that the top card of the
tabled pile will match with the object in their Hand.
If the Bottom Card Matches:

Now, in the first instance where the bottom card matches, we will first have
the Card Holder pick up the cards as a collective group. We will then ask
that they square the cards before flipping them over so that they can see the
object that is written on the bottom card. After requesting that they visualise
this object to the best of their ability, we will claim that we know exactly
82
By Michael Murray
which object they are thinking of (even though we don’t).
We will now direct all attention to the Hider who is asked to visualise the
object that is in their Left Pocket, we will then direct them to visualise the
item that is in their Hand. The moment that they do this, we will claim
success by stating -
“That is perfect, you are both thinking of the exact same item. On the count
of three, I would like you both to call out the item that you are presently
thinking of…One…Two…Three…”
Since both participants will now name the exact same object, you will get the
credit for knowing the exact object that was in their minds, and best of all, we
are all set to conclude the routine (see concluding the routine, below).
If the Top Card Matches:

In the second instance where the Top card matches, we will first request that
the Hider visualise the object that is in their Hand. After requesting that
they visualise this object to the best of their ability, we will claim that we
know exactly which object they are thinking of (even though we don’t).
We will now direct all attention to the Card Holder who is asked to pick up
the cards as a collective group. We will then ask that they square the cards
before flipping them over so that they can see the object that is written on the
bottom card.
After requesting that they visualise this object to the best of their ability, we
suggest that they aren’t visualising the same item as the other participant. In
light of this, we request that they move this card to the back of the stack so
that they can look at the next card.
83
In Two Minds
Once again, we will suggest that this still isn’t the right object and request that
they move this second card to the back of the stack so that they can visualise
the third and final object. The moment that they do this, we claim success
by stating -
“That is perfect, you are both thinking of the exact same item. On the count
of three, I would like you both to call out the item that you are presently
thinking of…One…Two…Three…”
Since both participants will now name the exact same object, you will get the
credit for knowing the exact object that was in their minds, and best of all, we
are all set to conclude the routine (see concluding the routine, below).
In Summary:
In the first situation, the face card is thought of first and then we have the
Hider move through the locations in their mind, stopping them on the item
that is in their Hand. In the second situation, we have the Hider focus on the
item in their Hand first, then we have the Card Holder cycle through to the
last card to reveal the matching thoughts.
As a little memory aid, I always consider a ‘Yes’ to the ‘Yes/No’ question to

mean that I can have the card holder think of the object first, and a ‘No’ that
I can’t (therefore the hider has to think of the object first).
Concluding the Routine:

No matter how we made the first reveal, the cards will now be in the exact
same order (with the face card matching the object that was simultaneously
called out by both participants. We will now request that the Card Holder
places the face card (the one that was just revealed) onto the table so that
84
By Michael Murray
they can visualise the item that is written on the next card.
We will now request that they take the card that they are focusing on into
their Left Hand, ensuring that the remaining card goes in their Right Hand.
Having separated the two cards in this fashion, we will request that the card
holder continues to visualise the object that is in their Left Hand.
Directing our attention back to the Hider, we request that they also visualise
the item that is on their Left, the one in their Left Pocket. Claiming that
the two participants are once again thinking of the exact same item, we will
now have them call out the object that is in their minds (in unison), making
a two for two reveal. Since it is self-evident that the final card and object
will match, we will immediately have them both call out the objects that are
located on their Right, thus concluding the routine with the third and final
match.
85
Special Thanks & Credits
Special Thanks & Credits:

Firstly, I would like to give my sincerest thanks to, Manos, without whom
this project would not exist. Manos is not only extremely generous with his
time, he is also very generous with his thoughts. When I originally shared my
thoughts with Manos he was quick to suggest that I release them, and even
offered me the opportunity to include his routine as a free bonus. Naturally,
I could not accept such a generous offer, and as such, we decided to work
together and make this a collaborative release.
Secondly, I would like to thank, Ian (Rasp) Cheetham, who played an

instrumental part in helping me finesse and polish the routines that you
have just learned. Before any of my ideas get written up, Ian has to endure
countless performances first-hand so that he can cast his critical eye over
them and offer practical advice on where each could be improved.
Although we don’t always see things from the same perspective (and he has
the tendency to get on his high horse at times), the results of our talks always
help to ensure that only the best ideas make it to the finishing line. It also goes
without saying, that his expertise in proofing and editing my written words,
help to ensure that the ideas within this book are legible enough to be taken
from the page to the stage.
I would like to thank, Timon Krause, for being an inspirational creator and
performer. His work has helped to shape the way that I create my effects, first
analysing them from the point of view that I am performing them for real,
and then secondly, trying to generate methods that stay as true to this goal,
as is possible. Without Timon’s inspiration, I don’t think I would have ever
created as direct a method as I have with ‘Chain Reaction’.
I would like to thank, Mark Chandaue, for his work with ‘Totally Free Will’.
86
By Michael Murray
Without him asking if I would like to contribute something to his book, I

would never have sown the seeds from which these ideas have been grown.
Shades of his own thinking can also be seen within this work, with regards
to the devious use of the ‘Bill’ as an optional reveal for an additional kicker
(when such fortuitous moments arise).
I would also like to thank, Gabriel Werlen, who authored the incredible
‘Green Neck’ system. Although the methodologies used within this book are
very different in method, Gabriel’s work, certainly helped me to realise that
there was uncharted territory left to explore within the realms of three-object
routines.
I would also like to thank, Ben Blau, for his inspirational ESP effect entitled
‘Unfazed’. Whilst this routine naturally has nothing to do with locating three
hidden objects, it did help me to appreciate that order can be created from
chaos.
This list of credits would not be complete without mentioning the work of the
following creators -
Bob Hummer - Who inspired a whole generation of three object routines

with the release of his Mathematical Monte effect.
Alain Nu - Who released a detailed approach to three object divination

effects under the title ‘Nu-Sense’.
Patrick Redford - Who has, perhaps, developed the most extensive work in
this area. Most notably, with his Triune Force and Triad/Tetrad switching
techniques.
Note: I strongly urge all readers to pick up a copy of Patrick’s ‘Sunrise’

download, which highlights some of his incredible thinking in this regard.
87
Trojan Horse
Pierre Acourt - Who recently released ‘4 Switch’ which offers a fresh

perspective to three object permutation-based routines.
Note: Whilst I have not yet had the opportunity to read Pierre’s work, a
reliable source has suggested that his approach differs to mine.
Lastly, I would like to thank you, the reader of this book, for investing in our
collective work. I sincerely hope that the routines and ideas that you have
learned bring you as much joy as we had when performing them for fellow
mentalists and laypeople alike!
Best Wishes,
Michael Murray
88

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Trojan Horse

Manos Kartsakis | Michael Murray | Ian ‘Rasp’ Cheetham

The Stealth Switch System by Manos Kartsakis

Guess Work by Michael Murray

Remote Control by Michael Murray

In Two Minds by Michael Murray

Page 86 - Special Thanks & Credits

Manos was very quick to reply, and together we scheduled a convenient

Having previously released several ‘three object routines’ of my own creation

The Stealth Switch System

Note to the Reader:

The reason I include a description of the effect is that I believe, just as

The presentation is basic and its purpose is to highlight moments and

• The ​Bill is in your ​Right hand.

this case, should sound something like this:

by putting my right hand in my right pocket). Since one of the items is

This is what we now know:

1. The Left Hand​must be ​Empty​.

Of course, if the participant says they answered something different it has to

in their right pocket (key or bill depending on the situation).

The first out, inside the bill, reads:

• The ​Bill is in your ​Right Hand.

The second out, reads:

• The Key​is in your ​Right Hand.

• The Coin is in your Left Pocket.

Revealing Side One:

Revealing Side Two:

The switch should happen at this point of the performance:

Additional Ideas & Suggestions:

• The ​Bill is in your ​Right Hand.

I do not consider this routine to be in the same category as “which hand”

Note to the Reader:

• The core method is completely different.

Until we meet again...

Special thanks to M​ ax Maven​and M

Special thanks to my good friends M

Some important points to consider -

• Any three objects may be used (no gimmicks are required).

• Deviously simple, very direct and yet extremely fooling.

Instructions for You to Follow:

remaining item in your Hand.”

Please take a moment to check how accurate my guess was before

“Incidentally, if I did manage to guess the location of any of the items

It genuinely does not matter if I guessed any of the positions correctly or

Now that you have taken a moment to appreciate this,

routine in one simple sentence -

• Unbeknownst to anyone, the ‘guess’ controls the final placement of

History & Development:

1. The guess could be completely correct with a one in six (16.66%)

Note: You are not required to memorise any of this information.

The Art of Failing:

1. The guess could be completely correct (which is very unlikely).

In a somewhat serendipitous fashion, I realised that if, after the guess, we

Step by Step Instruction:

Note: Any mental confirmation, or lack of, will be instrumental in controlling

1. “Which item do you believe is hidden in the Left Pocket?”

Note: From a technical standpoint, we only really need to remember the

as such), this can then be followed in one of two different ways -

Burying the Guess/Starting

“Is it safe for me to turn back around?”

The Hider will confirm.

“Essentially we are starting afresh…”

Note: Although the above statement is not entirely truthful, it is largely

• The Bill is in your Right hand.

1. The Left Handmust be Empty.

• The Bill is in your Right Hand.

• The Keyis in your Right Hand.

• The Bill is in your Right Hand.

Special thanks to M ax Mavenand M