Magnetic Cards
NOTE CLOSELY is the title
of lecture notes by an English magician, David
Jones. David is very clever and in his notes
you'll find a bunch of good routines, mainly
with cards. As I was reading it, the first routine
in the booklet interested me very much. It is
a Triumph type effect and very strong. I used
it and varied it, adding some more handling
that really sells the idea of the topsy-turvy
condition. In fact, I was in doubt as to which
chapter to put this trick in (it is a Triumph
but also involves the colors of the cards),
finally deciding on the Red & Black chapter.
EFFECT
Two cards are selected and
replaced. The magician cuts the deck into eight
packets. Four of the packets are turned face
up and shuffled into the remaining four packets
which are face down. When the deck is spread,
the face up cards are seen to be all red with
the exception of one black card, the selection.
The deck is squared, turned over and re-spread.
This time, all the face up cards are black with
the exception of the red selected card!
SET - UP
Arrange the deck with all
the red cards on top, followed by the black.
PERFORMANCE
Shuffle the deck, retaining
the color separation. (Overhand
Shuffle in small packets as normal, until
you are near to the center. At this point the
left thumb takes single cards until you are
past the center, then continue to shuffle off
in small packets. This is the Ireland
Shuffle. Now the black cards are on top
of the red cards.)
Spread the deck in a
ribbon spread on the table (as usual from left
to right) and invite two spectators to take
a card each, one from the left hand side of
the spread, the other from the right hand side
of the spread.
Have these two cards looked
at. Meanwhile, square the deck, pick it up and
re-spread it on the table but from RIGHT TO
LEFT. Invite the two spectators to replace their
cards more or less in the same position, pushing
them into the spread. By spreading the deck
the second time from right to left, the two
cards will be replaced into the opposite sections
(the red among the black cards and the black
among the red. If I am not wrong this is an
Edward Marlo procedure.)
Spread the cards with the
faces toward yourself and split the deck at
the point where the colors meet in the middle
(a Faro Check would do). Place both halves face down on
the table and cut with both hands simultaneously,
leaving the bottom quarter of each portion on
the table. Move both hands forward and leave
another bottom quarter of each portion in front
of the two tabled packets. Repeat twice moving
forward so that you have eight face down packets
as in figure 1.
Turn the packets 1, 4, 5 and
8 face up as in figure 2. Riffle Shuffle 1 and 2 together and leave
them aside. Shuffle packets 3 and 4 together,
turn them over and shuffle this combined portion
with the combined portion I and 2. Leave this
half of the deck aside.
Shuffle together packets 5
and 6 and leave them aside. Shuffle packets
7 and 8, turn them over and shuffle them into
the combined portion 5 and 6. Finally, shuffle
the two halves together (without turning either
of the portions over.) This is a very convincing
sequence and the upcoming climax is very effective.
Spread the deck on the table
revealing that the face up cards are all red
(or black) with one exception, the black (or
red) selection. Turn over the spread to reveal
all the black (or red) cards face up, containing
the second red (or black) selection.
NOTES
Instead of the Marlo procedure,
simply fan or riffle the cards between the hands
and have the selected cards replaced in the
opposite color section.
The trick is a strong one. The
final effect has a huge impact on the audience.
Don't pass it by! At least give it a try! (Gee,
I said that in rhyme!!!)
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