Colossal Card Memory
The Colossal Card Memory previously appeared in my book MindStorms. It grew out the need to plug a 5 minute gap during one of my convention shows. The incumbent audience had seen me so many times before; I needed something new in a hurry. To my delight, this effect not only went down very well, it has become a feature of my lectures and, remarkably, fools magicians badly. If that weren’t enough reason to learn it, it’s also self-working! The construction is a good example of a technique that Fitzkee and others have called ‘magnification.’ Taking smaller effects and increasing the size of them for stage use. My original performance used a jumbo Bicycle pack and clearly that would work fine. It took on a new lease of life when I discovered the Colossal Playing Cards made by US Game Systems. This pack is larger than A4 size and very well made. There are a number of companies making a similar pack. This is what Bob Cassidy would describe as a ‘macro’ effect. It has a huge chunk of audience involvement; it
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creates a great sense of fun in the crowd and is somehow reminiscent of some of the great effects used by David Berglas.
What the audience sees
A huge pack of cards is handed to the audience for shuffling. The cards are shown briefly to the performer who claims to memorise them. Two cards are selected and shown whilst the performer’s back is turned. The two cards are shuffled back into the giant pack. The cards are collected and handed to the performer who manages to find the two selections.
Requirements
A pack of Jumbo or Colossal Cards. A regular pack of cards. An audience of around 100+
Set Up
Divide the large cards into Odd and Even numbers; i.e. the top half of the pack contains the odd numbered cards and the bottom half the even. You should also have an easily spotted card at the beginning of the odd stack; I like to use the ace of clubs.
Performance
Bring out the regular pack and ask a spectator in the front row to shuffle the pack and then retrieve them. Looking towards the back of the audience you comment.
“I wanted to show you something with these cards but I can see it’s going to be hard for you to see exactly what’s going on.”
Remove the giant cards and hand them to the same guy – This is a good sight gag.
“Shuffle those will you.”
Before he is able to begin you take the cards back explaining.
Walk to the far left of the audience and give a quarter of the cards to a spectator of the end of the row. Move about a quarter of the way in from the side and hand out another quarter of the pack being sure to cut at the half way point – The ace of clubs. A simple edge marked card would also enable you to do this without fumbling. Walk to the far right side of the front row and hand out half of your remaining cards and then move back a quarter of the way in and hand the remaining pile. Ask each of the 4 spectators to keep their cards face down and to shuffle them thoroughly.
You will now ask the shufflers to take one card and pass the rest behind them. The cards are now distributed one by one so that one side of the audience has the even half and the other side has the odd half. You need to keep
reasonable control now to ensure that there is a section in the centre of the audience who have no cards. Make sure that the cards are kept facing down. You now explain that you will try to memorise all the cards and their relative positions. This you claim you can do in two shots of 8 seconds. Ask for a person with a second hand on their watch to time you.
“No I didn’t say a second hand watch sir, I said, does it have a second hand?”
Have all the people with cards stand up. Indicate to everyone on one side of the audience that they must hold their cards up above their heads, faces towards you, until you tell them to stop.
“Hold them up when I say go…. GO……Right, got them, put them down and sit back down”
Count to yourself from when you say go one thousand two thousand etc until you get to 7 thousand.
Stop, how long was that, 7 seconds? I’ve beaten my record.”
You now do the same with the other side of the audience, again in 7 seconds. This pre-occupation with timing and the general hubbub and movement provides the misdirection which ensures that nobody is aware of the pattern which exists in the audience. It is also hard to get a panoramic view from anywhere except where you are standing. It’s simply a mixture of red and black cards, pictures and spots.
Once everyone is seated, have the original shuffler in the centre stand-up. Turn your back and ask him to select a card holder from each side of the audience and ask them to join him at the front. The cards are shown to the audience and you now ask the two chosen volunteers to swap cards and return to their places. You now have the four shufflers collect up their cards until there are four piles. At this point you turn around and retrieve the 4 piles reforming the pack. You job is now simple, look through the pack and retrieve the odd card from the even section
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and vice versa. Once I have located the cards I like to put the pack down and hold the two cards, one in each hand with their backs to the audience.
“Who was it that selected the two cards? Would you stand up please, what was your card? What was your card? (Pause for the count of 3), It doesn’t always work, (pause) but it did tonight!”
Turn the two cards around dramatically revealing them either side of your face and you are in the applause position. This effect can work equally well in a magic or mental performance. I’ve used it very effectively as an MC piece and you can use it for a family audience too.