Effect
A story telling plot in which a card that is only in the spectators mind finds itself.
Sleights None
Comments
This routine has two interesting points. Firstly, the mechanics of the location method used are both fooling and open to many adjustments with respect to other procedures (see also “Sunken 21”). Secondly, the patter attempts to make what is generally a very “dry” effect, an impossible location, have an emotional impact on the spectator. The somewhat narrative patter can of course be adjusted to whatever you like, but it is designed to draw the spectator in to the plot.
Method
Take a shuffled deck and peek the top and bottom cards. If, like me, you don’t trust your memory, just arrange to have two mates top and bottom, such as the red Aces.
Place the deck on the table in front of your spectator.
“Imagine you’re in a classroom as the teacher, all the children are there. It’s bright and noisy. On the desk in front of you is a deck of cards. Now, I ‘d like you to pick up the deck and from out of the centre pull a block of cards, a decent chunk.”
You want them to take around 15 - 25 cards but there is no specific amount or constraints. As long as they pull a block from out of the middle leaving your key cards in place you are fine. As an alternative you could get them to cut the deck in three piles and use the middle one, reforming the remaining two portions so the key cards are still top and bottom.
“By taking them from the centre they are completely random. Now, count the cards you have. Twenty?Fiine. Imagine writing "20" on the blackboard behind you in big white letters so everyone can see. Then shuffle the twenty cards and think for a
moment what the children and I know.”
“The only thing that we can know is you have twenty cards of course. We can't know what cards or what order they are in since you picked them at random and have shuffled them. I want you to now delete the only piece of information we have. So, can you please cut a small packet from the cards you hold back onto the deck. Now no one, not even you, knows how many cards you put back or how many you have left in your hands. Turn around and erase the big number you wrote on the board before. We now know nothing; not the quantity, nor the cards, nor the order.
Nothing.”
“Next can you imagine all the children leaving the classroom. Then you close the blinds, shut the door and turn off all the lights except your small desk lamp.”
“Shuffle the packet of cards you hold again. In a moment you will remember one card from that packet. But I want you to think of a card that only you can know. No one else in the classroom, or indeed the world will know what that card is. What you will do is deal the cards you hold slowly down onto the table one at a time, turning each one face up as you go and counting them in your head; 1,2,3,4 etc. When you get to a point that only you know, remember the card and what number it is at.
However, do not stop dealing. Continue placing cards down face up going right through the packet until you have dealt them all into a face up pile. By doing this no one on Earth can know which card you choose to remember or at what position it was at. I will look away and leave you alone in the classroom.”
Before the spectator starts these actions you turn away and shield your eyes. Make sure to do this BEFORE they start dealing so they know you don’t peek any cards.
This is important as it eliminates the method most people “in the know” will think you are using which involves peeking a card during the deal. With your back turned and eyes averted you continue.
“When you have finished and dealt all the cards, turn the pile face down. Now turn to the blackboard and as small as you can, in the corner, write your card and the number it was at. The room is dark and no one can see, but make it small and hide it with your hand as you write. When you are done, turn around quickly and put
your back against the board so no one could see what you wrote. Keep the number and the card in your mind.”
“Now, cut the rest of the deck that is on the table in half and drop the cards you cut off onto your pile, burying them. Then drop the rest of the deck on top of all.
Remember, you shuffled the cards, You have now cut the cards repeatedly. No one can know what card you’re thinking of or what number. It could literally be any of those 52 cards. The knowledge is only in your head and on that blackboard behind you. Now imagine leaving the cards on your desk and close your eyes.”
When the spectator closes their eyes you pick up the deck. To locate their card you just need to do the following:
Spread through from the face until you see your first Key Card, in this case a red Ace. Start counting on the first card AFTER your key card and continue counting cards up to BUT NOT including your second key card. So basically just count the cards between the keys, let’s say it’s seven cards. Remember this “new value” and then close the deck and start counting again from the face. Begin your count with the first card (face card) and simply carry on counting from the “new value” as you spread through, 8, 9, 10 etc until you reach the value that the spectator named at the beginning, twenty in our example. Cut the deck at this point so the card at position twenty ends up at the back. Then table the deck face down. These actions are done during the patter as noted below. You will need to stop talking as you do the counting (unless you can count and talk). As you’ll see from the patter, it does not matter that they hear you touching / spreading the cards.
“You’re standing there in the silence and darkness, thinking of your card and number. You become aware of a sound; the sound of the cards mixing and moving around - just as you can hear the cards now.”
Be silent while you count between the key cards.
“Alone in the dark with only the soft sound of the cards moving all by themselves.”
Continue your count from the face of the deck to the key number, cut the deck at
this point then table it face down. Speak slowly and quietly.
“And then they stop. Silence. You open your eyes. The deck looks the same, sitting there on the desk just as it did before. But you know something has happened in the darkness. The cards have re-ordered themselves.”
“You tentatively take the cards and slowly deal down from the top, counting in your head as you go, until you reach the number in your mind. A number only you can know. You take the card at this position. In your mind, the name of your selection becomes louder and louder as you slowly turn the card over; a card that can't possible match the one that you are merely thinking of.”
“The card matches....and the light bulb in your desk lamp goes BANG!” (really shout this).
The last bit is optional!
Notes
The location mechanics utilised are two fold. Firstly the card at a thought of number idea is taken from C W Jones’ "Three Pile Trick" found in Greater Magic by Hilliard on page 234. To locate the start position for this placement I have used a development of the “Sunken Key Principle” by Scalbert, as used also in "Sunken 21" in this booklet, which uses two sunken key cards.
Technicalities
The two effects in this section both involve a stacked deck but I think they are well worth it. I usually shy away from big set ups but if the impact of the effect is large then I have no problem carrying a “loaded deck”. “Thought Provoker” explores the age-old problem of locating a card that has been mentally selected and hides its stack through the use of a very sneaky dealing procedure. “Rump Shaker” is a bottom-dealing demo that requires no skill, is self-working and introduces what is hopefully a new finesse for the Gilbreathe Principle.