Hi guys, just thought id share again. This is one of my favourite self workers. Its called Strike a Match by Richard Vollmer and can be found in Loraynes Apocalypse Vol 20 no. 11 ( great issue).
this is an any time anywhere borrowed deck self worker(almost, one card must be glimpsed and set during the course of the trick). Richard Vollmer is one of my favourite card tricksters.
Learn this beauty and you'll always have a cool and baffling card trick ready to go when someone whips a deck at your head and says "Dance magic boy!"

Thanks for reminding me about this effect.
I learned it (and immediately loved it) when I first saw it on Impromptu Card Magic Volume 4 DVD by Colombini. I haven't performed it yet and would like to know your opinion on some parts.
Colombini deals 2 packets of 13 to the spectators (after they have shuffled the deck) and he also does the final deal. (when the lucky card/numbers are added together) If I performed it I would prefer a more hands-off approach. Glimpsing the card can be done very casually while talking about how everyone has their lucky card etc. (don't know if Lorayne gives the same "lucky card(s)" presentation) and spectators can actually do everything: deal 13-card packets, find their lucky cards and do the final deal, too.
I wonder why Colombini also doesn't present it a bit more hands-off since it can be done so easily (and is obviously much stronger). Maybe it looks a bit too impossible (and therefore automatic) if spectators do all the job? I doubt it but don't know how to explain it.
Can you tell me what's your preferred handling? Do you allow the spectators to do everything? Also, if a match doesn't occur, you let them reshuffle their 13-card packet? Thanks!

Picard, I deal out the two initial thirteen card packets myself. this is very fair since the deck is shuffled by the participant. I let them deal the cards for a match in both packets and let them reshuffle should there be no match.
I allow them to deal down to my lucky card. Basically, I do it exactly as described by Lorayne.
I love this card trick.

I saw mention of this effect in the The "best" self-working trick thread.

I don't own this Apocalypse vol, but I happened to see the Vollmer effect performed a couple of weeks ago.

The trick reminds me of Ultra Card Divination in The Royal Road To Card Magic (1949) and Mathematical Finder in Scarne on Card Tricks (1950), and other more recent variations. I'd be interested in knowing the credits listed by RV.

It's a nice effect, but easy enough to reconstruct. I have come up with some modifications which make it look less self-working and more difficult to backtrack, while keeping it sleightless.

If you're interested in discussing the merits of my changes, I'll be happy to post them here.

Hi Claudio, I'd be interested in your changes to the effect. Though it is a simple effect I like it a lot. I should thank magicfish for introducing me to this effect. I purchased Apocalypse vol 20 e-version from Conjuring arts just for this.

OK.

Meanwhile, can you please post the credits, if any, given by Richard Vollmer in the Apocalypse description?

Adia.....man: You may even "get" a few hundred more effects/routines you can use from the other 239 volumes!

Thank you Harry. Yes, I am aware that the other volumes have a lot of good material. I own some of them. I plan to own all of them at some point.

Claudio, here's the crediting info you asked. Harry says Richard says his inspiration for this effect is a Bob king effect called Lucky Card which appeared in Apocalypse (vol/issue not given). Also see Richard's effect Right to it Location in Sept 1996 issue of Apocalypse.
Hope this helps.

Thanks adiabaticman, will PM you.

Claudio, I would be interested in your version also. I have it from one of Aldo's card magic pdfs. I believe it was from his anytime ,anywhere.

Was playing around with this today. You could deal the two piles of 13 but as you deal the last pile and deal number 13 you could get a break under the second card from top and do the Funsky glimpse out of Simon Aronson's Art Decko book. You get a nice glimpse and no one suspects.

@magicthree: good thinking but you've given away the last element of the effect. The trick has been designed as sleightless, but if one has the skill, adding some simple moves here and there won't hurt.

I've been working on this effect since I saw it a couple of weeks ago and the two aspects I meant to improve on are:

a) Removing the dealing down of 13 cards to each spectator as it’s too procedural and a sure sign of a mathematical trick.
b) Making the effect more difficult to backtrack.

I described a couple of solutions in my PM to you, but I've kept a couple to myself for the sake of discussion.

Whether these changes are any good is open to discussion.