Content:

Easy Extract:
A very easy, very deceptive, Bill to Pen.

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Right on Cue:
A Surprise appearance of an 8-ball.

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A Variation on a Change:
A Smooth Gradua/ C%r change!

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Turning the Tables:

• Discovery Questions
• Approaching the Restaurant
• Pricing- the use of Premiums
• Lobby Boards
• Comment Cards

Copywri-ce 200 I Hlep-Comasic

 Easy Extract:
The What:
An easy startling effect where a spectators bill is extracted
from a toothpaste box and appears in an ink pen with appar-
ently no moves.

The How:
You will need:
2 - Bic ball point ink pens; 2 - 1/8th" rare earth magnets; I
- small travel-sized toothpaste box; I - thumb tip; and double
sided sticky tape -or- I - Doug Edwards "Pen-atration"

fig. I

First, place some double-stick tape inside the box to hold the
Thumb tip in place. Insert one of the ink cartridges in the box,
next to the Tip. Next, tear a third of the bill off and place in
pocket for corner switch. Then, roll the remaining 2/3rds into
a tube and place it in the pen. Then, assemble the gimmicked
pen as in figure 2 and place it in the front shirt pocket.
 ,
,
. --
-.
.
, -- . ...I._-~----- .
, ·
,
·
· ··
· ·
, ··
Bill with ,
, ·
· ·
· ·
corner · ·
·
·
, ·,
· ·
· ·
·
misSing:~ ·
,
· ·,,
,
· ·
·
·
· ··
·
· ··
, ·
J
---- .... - ..... - .. -

fig. 2
The Presentation:
While commenting on how most people believe that magic is all
done with boxes and mirrors. The magician states that he
would never resort to that sort of thing, except for this once.

He then removes a travel-sized toothpaste box from his pocket.

"Four out of five dentists recommend this trick, it's guaranteed
to give you a brighter smile. All it will cost you is a mere five
bucks." After borrowing the five dollar bill. The magician asks a
lady if she has ever seen the trick where you cut a woman in
half. "would you like to see it?... GREAT! Hop up on the
table!. .. just kidding. That's ok miss in your place we will use his
five dollar bilL" The magician tears of a third of the bill and licks
the smaller portion of the bill then attempts to stick it back
together. (Corner-switch)

He asks the lender of the bill to hold onto the piece as he folds
the remaining portion of the bill into a small bundle, which is
then inserted into the toothpaste box.
(The bill is really inserted into the thumb tip and immedi-
ately removed and ditched in the front shirt pocket as the
hand reaches for the pen.)

He closes the box and shakes it so that the bill is heard from
the outside. (They are really hearing the ink cartridge) Then
setting the box on the table a pen is clearly removed from his
front shirt pocket. He instructs the spectator to wave the pen
over the box. While demonstrating the waving motion he
removes the cap from the pen, displaying the tip of the pen. He

"
then replaces the cap and tells the spectator to concentrate ...
(As you tell the spectator to concentrate both hand take
hold of the pen ... the left hand holds the magnetic tip and
the right holds the bill side. When you separate you
hands ... the right hand carries the pen forward while the
left retains the pen tip and the cap ... casually the left hand
ditches as the spectator waves the pen ... from here all the
ttwork" is done.)
....as he hands them the pen they wave the pen over the box as
the magician states "the bill is now restored". The magician real-
izes a portion of the bill is still in the spectators hand.

Realizing his mistake, the magician asks them to open the box
and inside they find the ink cartridge portion of the pen. He
asks them to remove the cap from the pen wherein a portion of
the bill is found. They remove the bill and verify that the piece
of the bill in the spectators hand matches the bill from the cap.

5
 Right on Cue:
The What:
While displaying your inept abilities at trying to find the specta-
tors card you finally give in and ask for the identity. When you
find out it's a black 8; an eight ball appears from the deck.

Presentation:
"Touch the back of a card. Remember if you see it again ... all
you really need to remember is the number and the color. I'll
find your card using the Erdnase diagonal palm shift. Is that it?
no... I Should have used my breathers crimp .... are you sure? It
would really help me if you lied right now. Was it any of
these? ... how about this one over here? Was I even close? ..
Remember that lying part we were talking about earlier? ..
What was the color? what is red or black?.. (black) What was
the number? (eight) Well that should be easy then because the
black eights are heavier then the others".

The How:
The cards are held in dealers position
fig. I
,above th~ eight ball which is in your
left hand. The Ball is held only by the
third and fourth fingers (figure I).

The 8 of spades is the fifth card from

the top of the deck. This is your set
up. To perform spread the cards
between the hands culling the 5th card
under the spread (figure 2).

6
 fig. 2

Ask the spectator to touch the back of

a card separate the cards at that location.
Square up the right hand portion of the
spread above the culled card, against the
left forefinger.

Raise the right hand portion of the packet

and display the forced 8 of spades.
Drop the right hand packet back onto
the left hand portion and cut deeper
into the pack raising the upper por-
tion to eye level while holding it in
the biddle grip position (figure 3).

Proceed to do a one handed fan

with the right hand displaying the
faces. to the spectators. Now, do a
body turn to the left. As you turn
the fan passes below the left hand portion fig. 3
of the deck and flips over the top card of
the left hand portion. As the pass happens
the left hand releases the 8 ball and it is
caught by the 2nd,3rd & 4th fingers of the

7
right hand (figure 4a & 4b). The right hand fan flips the top
card of the left hand portion face down. Then proceeds to
toSS the 8 ball onto the top of the left hand portion.

fig.4a

fig.4b

8
 Apollo's
Variation
on
The What:
a Change:
This effect is a variation of a Ross Bertram move in which the face of a playing
card changes as you wave your hand over it. It is a very slow magical change
that gives the illusion of happening gradually.

The How:
Get a hold of a double card and lay it
face-down onto the palm of your left
hand. Then clip it with your fingers
and put your thumb on the top edge
(figure I). Push the card though
.your fist, while rotating your wrist
pam down. The spectators will see
fig. I the card emerge face up from the rear
(figure 2).

Your right hand approaches the card

with the intention to grab it by the
index corner. This action naturally
positions the non-index corner of the
card straight into the space between
the third and fourth fingers of the
right hand (figure 3).
fig. 2
•
Be sure to position the non-index cor-
fig. 3
ner of the card safely into the
described space and keep pushing the
card with your left thumb. At the
same time relax the grip of your
left fingers.

Once the double card is safely

positioned clip the index corner of
the card with your right rhumb and
index finger. At the same time, press
outwards with your thumb.
This action causes the top
card to peal off. Once the top
card is free from the con-
cealed one, pinch the non- fig. 4
index corner with your left
thumb and index finger. <>
(figures 4 and 4a).

fig.4a

10
Your left hand should swivel the top card clockwise and pull it
away from the right hand. As the card is freed and exposed,
the fingers of your right hand should not move at all. As soon
as the exposed card is drawn away adjust the grip of the con-
cealed card with your right hand. This adjustment is done
under the pretext of grabbing the exposed card by the two
free corners.

As soon as you pull the top card away your right thumb and
index finger will still be holding the other one by the corner.
Swing your thumb backwards. The first joint of your thumb
will end up along the left side of the card. This action automat-
ically jams the card between the thumb and the opposite cor-
ner of the palm.

At this point all the fingers stretch out and let go of the
exposed card, as they no longer have to hold it. The concealed
card ends up in Tenkai Palm position, clutched between the
thumb and the opposite side of the palm. The tips of your
right hand's thumb and second finger are now free to grasp the
exposed card by the corners (figure 5).

00

II
Figure SA shows the bottom view.
It is very important to hold the con-
cealed card in this exact position
the most important detail is the
corner of the card close to the
pinky. It must be positioned pre-
cisely, slightly below the space
between the third finger and the pinky.
Your right hand must slide over the
exposed card and the audience should be
able to see its face as it slides out at the
Qther side~of your right palm
(figure 6). Your left thumb
must grab the non-index cor-
ner of the concealed card. This
is the corner positioned near the
root of your right pinky.
Figure 6A shows the under-view
of this position. It is not possible to show the exact
position of the left thumb but allow the concealed card to
slide under it.
12
As soon as your left thumb
gets a hold of the concealed
card, pull your right hand
away. Your right thumb will
act as a guide for the con-
cealed card. It will swing
counter-clockwise as its edge slides across
your right thumb. Meanwhile, at the
other side of your right hand,
your fingers will act as a guide
for the exposed card. Your
point of view is illustrated in
Figure 7.

Figure 7A shows the

same position from
underneath. You can clearly
see how the face of the
exposed card gets covered by the card
which was previously in Tenkai Palm
position. ~

The audience still doesn't see the con-

cealed card. Figure 78 shows their·
point of view at the same time. An
instant later they will see the new card
emerge from the upper side of your right
hand. It will emerge at the same speed as the
old card got pulled in.

Ii
The illusion is
that you pulled a single
card though your palm and it
changed as your hand scanned
over it's face. At the end of the move you
will end, up at the position shown in (figure 8).

Your right hand should wave over the card slowly and
deliberately. If you do it too fast the audience will miss
the color change.

At the end of the move you are left with a double card held
between your right thumb and second finger. Both cards should
end up in perfect alignment and you should be able to release
your left-hand grip. at this point you may show the back of the
card to the audience and explain that the back didn't change.
This gives l'0u the chance to pick up the deck. Now you may
place the double card onto the deck and proceed
with your routine.

Performing Tips:
Most close-up card tricks are puzzling by nature. It is a good
idea to vary the principles and the effects. Unless your audience
tries to work out the mechanics of this move, there is nothing

14 I
I
•.
f
puzzling about it. It simply looks like real magic and offers a
fresh visual effect that any audience will appreciate.

Do not under any circumstance use misdirection. If the

people miss the change then you might as will have done a
Top Change. the goal is not to make the audience believe that
your are quick, but make it look as if you can really do magic.

Once you learn this color change well, you may want to
experiment with a triple change. Simply lift three cards as one
and do the change twice. I do not recommend doing a triple
change in extreme close-up situations.

Credits:
This is variation of a color change created by Ross Bertram. However, the
mechanics of this move are quite different from the older version. In Ross
Bertram's version the card must be held by the index corner. This results in a
handling were the card must be completely "dipped" under the hand. The advan-
tage using the non-index corners ... gives quite a visual effect as you see the card
pass "through" the hand as it changes. This variation also allows for as easyalign-
ment of the two cards at the end.

My"Variation" actually came about from mis-learning the

Original
~ Bertram's
.••.. handling

Ross Bertram called his color change the TEBE Change, for the Tenkai-Bertram.
The TEBE change appears in Bertram on Sleight of Hand, by Ross Bertram
(Lee Jacobs Productions),

Thank You, Igor, for writing and illustrating this effect for me. You're GREAT!

15
 Turning the Tables:
I believe it was Eugene Burger that said, "You can't make a
living doing restaurants ...but it can be a solid foundation."
That quote, holds a lot of truth when it comes to the restaurant
business. Although every magician has dreams of grand illusions,
at times they become "grand delusions". When it comes down
to paying the bills, restaurants are a very practical venue for the
professional magician. They provide him with a regular income, a
place to test new material, and the location to showcase his abil-
ities for potential clients.
There are difficulties that a lot of magicians run into when
approaching the restaurant market. How to get a contract with a
restaurant, how much to charge, etc ..
After working in restaurants for eight years, here are some tips I
have picked up that I would like to share with you. These are my
tools ...

Discovery Questions:
• Why should the restaurant hire you?
• How will you benefit them?
• What is your purpose for working there?
• What kind of people are they trying to attract?
• What kind of budget do they have allotted for Entertainment?
• Is the restaurant privately owned or franchised?
• Who is the general manager or owner?

Before approaching a restaurant you must first "case the joint"

to see how you would best benefit them. I found the best way
to get started was to gather information through networking or
talking with their competition. Once you find out this informa~
16
tion, you have a very useful tool when talking to your "future
Client". Understand your purpose there ...Whether it's covering
delays in the kitchen, helping sooth irritated customers, keeping
people from leaving when there is a long wait for seating. You're
not someone just coming in to do card tricks, you are a goodwill
ambassador to the patrons of the restaurant on behalf of the
management.

Approaching Restaurants:
The best time to approach is usually between 2 - 4pm. But your
not the only one who knows this ... in fact, don't be surprised if
there are a couple of other Salespeople showing up at the same
time in the afternoon. I used to carry a pressbook with me that
contained press clippings, letters of reference and promo materi-
al. I found carrying this under my arm made me look like an
instant salesman. I didn't want the manager to think of me that
way, so I left my book in the car... walked in very casual, and con-
fident. I took the dollar signs out of my eyes. Meaning I wasn't
thinking about how much money I could get ... But, of how helpful
I would be to their business. I believe that your attitude walking
in, is more important than what effect you can WOW them with.
They are Buying you because they like YOU.

Pricing -the use of Premiums:

Don't be too uptight about the price of your first restaurant.
Get your foot in the door.
This does not mean working for free ... It means being negotiable.
Don't throw down your price too soon. Remember the discov-
ery questions and the information you researched. Establish the

17
need for your services ... then recommend to the need. Tell them
hoWyou can benefit them, what you have to offer.
Thisis where Premiums come in. Premiums are the services or
products that you provide. As you list off the various premiums
the calculator in their head keeps adding up how much they think
you are worth. Therefore, the more premiums you have, the
more you r perceived value.

Premiums prove very useful in negotiations. You never want to

lower your price without removing a premium. For example, if
after everything, they think your price is to high, you can subtract
services such as local advertisement, lobbyboards etc. ..
Youcan also use trade (often referred to as "script") to adjust
your price for a restaurant that can't afford your full fee.

Trade can be very, very valuable when starting out ...

When I first started I was requesting $75 for 3 hours.

My first Restaurant would only pay $50 cash, but I negotiated
$25 in trade. I used this trade to invite my clients and other
restaurant owners to come see me work while I treated them
-,.' ..••..

to dinner. This allowed me to get several other contracts. At

one point I had contracts with 8 restaurants for the $75 nightly
fee. I then raised my "personal fee" to $75 for Ihr, $120-2hrs
and $150 for 3hrs. 1 kept working 3 of the locations while hiring
magicians, clowns and caricaturist to work the remaining loca-
tions. Those restaurants continued paying me the $75 nightly fee
while 1 payed the performers $50 keeping $25 as my share.
This was my foundation. My solid foundat~on was established.

18
Ii Couple of My Premiums •••
Lobby Boards:
This is one of your most useful promotional tools for the
restaurant. See Figure I. The lobbyboard remains in full view
the entire week, advertising the nights you are there.

Approx. 18 X 24 in.

XYZ~estaurant presents:

Fridays .&Saturays6-9 pm.

10
Comment Cards:
My Secret Weapon ...
My Comment Cards were designed for two purposes:
• A way of measuring my effectiveness for the management .
• And the check box at the bottom allowed me to general
several leads for private parties each night.

You hand out the Comment Cards at the end of a table set.
I would say..." This is my Report card. if you liked me, please
write something nice ... if you didn't ... please write about some-
body you DO like:' I give them each a pen to fill out the
cards. The pens have my number on them, and I prefer to hand
them out instead of business cards. They'll always keep your
pen anyway ... might as well put your information on it.
Then, I tell them to drop the cards in the fishbowl on the way
out the door. This relieves the waitstaff of any extra work.
Otherwise, your "comments" have a way of ending up in the
trash. At the end of the night, I copy off all the information.
And turn in the Cards to the General Manager.
Because these were so effective for me, I have designed a
generic card that you can take to a printer for immediate use ...
Enjoy!

~ back
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. * My 1\epoft Cafd * -.-.-.-.,
! Comments:
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o YES! I would like to use your Entertainment SeNices.

Name: e-mail:
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