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Vlad_77 Inner circle The Netherlands 5829 Posts 
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Either Or by John Guastaferro in One Degree
pp. 6-8. Effect: Your participant answers a series of fun "either/or" questions, which not only helps you learn more about her but helps you determine her selected card. More than just a "pick a card and I'll find it" trick, this effect has the potential to heighten curiosity and bring some smiles to the room. Plus it has the built in advantage of letting you stack the deck for your next effect. Skill level beginner but read on! I love this trick. While it might not be an earth shattering miracle, it can play very strongly. The questions as John notes can be serious or funny, but what I want to focus on is the stacking idea. Yes of course there are many ways to - as Harry Lorayne might say - "gedinta" but I think this trick offers a solution for many who may not have learned more advanced ways of doing this or for the beginner who might still be puzzled by instructions that state to set up while you are fiddling with the cards. In fact, I remember as a beginner that I hated reading that dreadful phrase. I knew that people would be watching me closely and because I was a novice, I was quite aware that I didn't quite have the chops to appear casual as I toyed with the pack. And even for those of us who now have no problems "fiddling" and/or have more advanced weapons in our arsenal, I still think that having yet another is never a bad thing. I realize that many have this book but this little trick can easily be overlooked. The entertainment value seems to me to be limited only by the performer's own imagination, and, there's a certain bit of fun knowing you are setting something up so openly. So many times I've read effect descriptions that state that the effect is one of those nice things that can be sandwiched between your stronger "miracles." This however, at least to me, is by no means a throwaway trick. It is entertaining as a trick and it's simultaneously a brilliant utility. Best, Vlad |
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Vlad_77 Inner circle The Netherlands 5829 Posts
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Heir to the Throne
Kort: The Magic of Milt Kort pp. 19-28 Effect: Starting out with the four Aces and four Kings from any deck, the Kings and Aces keep transposing and at the end of each phase, the performer eliminates one King and one Ace all the way down to a clean transposition of one Ace and one King. Skill level: advanced beginner although the routine does depend upon a sleight that I do not consider a "beginner's" sleight. I placed it at this skill level because author Stephen Minch feels that it is. I won't argue with someone like Mr. Minch. 
I've cut the effect description way down otherwise it would be a LONG effect description. In a thread in the "Deckless" section, member Terrible Wizard asked if it was overkill to do two or more packets in a row. This is one of the answers I gave; it's a routine comprised of four phases and each phase is really a packet trick on its own. It's a tight routine and as is expected of Milt Kort's magic, very tightly constructed with a nice dash of boldness thrown in. I love performing it and it's one of those routines that is fun to learn because the performer in a sense gets to "see" the magic too. Kort: The Magic of Milt Kort is really a wonderful book crammed with simply great magic from one of the art's great inventors. At over 360 pages, there is something here for everyone. As an aside, if you like working with dice and you have this book, check out the work on dice. I think it is every bit as important as Marlo's classic Shoot the Works. The foreword to the book is written by the great Ron Bauer so that should give you an indication of the splendid magic that lies within. I know that veterans will be familiar with Milt Kort's name but novices to the art steeped in [insert name of rock star wanna-be magician here] may not know the name at all. Best, Vlad |
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Kabbalah Inner circle 1621 Posts
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Well Vlad, since you bring Kort to the discussion, I'll add an effect I have performed in the barrooms (and garnered many drinks from) for forty years or more, taught to me by Frank Thompson, one of Kort's confidants...
Vernon's Variant Variant Steven Minch's The Magic of Milt Kort, pp. 43-46. Novice - as long as one can do an Elmsley Count. A packet You-Can't-Do-As-I-Do trick, with a surprise color-change that happens in the spectator's hands! This is my favorite version of Vernon's Variant, Ultimate Secrets of Card Magic. This is one of those *put the cards away* effects...it is that good!
"Long may magicians fascinate and continue to be fascinated by the mystery potential in a pack of cards."
~Cliff Green "The greatest tricks ever performed are not done at all. The audience simply think they see them." ~ John Northern Hilliard |
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David Martin Regular user East Lyme, CT 118 Posts
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Quote:
On Nov 2, 2014, Vlad_77 wrote: 100% agreed about everything you wrote. This routine is absolutely killer! The fact that he took some wonderful effects that went under the radar of the newer generation of magicians and made a progressive and logical routine out of them is awesome! Definately one of my favorite shining gems from this wonderful book. |
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Terrible Wizard Inner circle 1973 Posts
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Vlad, that sounds quite similar to one of the tricks on Gerry Griffins CCM DVD that I've been trying to track down credits for. If I PM you a fuller description of the CCM effect could you let me know if it's a variation of this Kort effect?
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Vlad_77 Inner circle The Netherlands 5829 Posts
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Quote:
On Nov 2, 2014, Terrible Wizard wrote: I would be happy to.
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Terrible Wizard Inner circle 1973 Posts
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Thanks vlad, Pm'd you
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Vlad_77 Inner circle The Netherlands 5829 Posts
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PM sent!
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BarryFernelius Inner circle Still learning, even though I've made 2537 Posts
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Since Vlad posted one from Mind, Myth, and Magick, I'll do the same.
Talismanacle Mind, Myth, and Magick by T.A. Waters pp. 203-205 Skill Level: Beginner/Intermediate Effect: You hand a deck of cards to a spectator and ask him to shuffle it thoroughly. While the spectator does this you remove a small amulet from your pocket or a ring from your finger. You explain that this talisman has the peculiar property of being able to pick up vibrations from objects held near to it, and retaining them for a time. You offer to demonstrate. You ask the spectator to look through the deck, pushing the cards from the left hand to the right hand, until he comes to a card he likes. He sets the cards in front of his card face down on the table, leaving his card on the face of the cards in his left hand. Handing him the talisman, you tell him to hold it near to--but not quite touching--his card. This done, he is to place the cards remaining in his left hand down onto the tabled portion and cut the deck if he wishes. Finally, he is to place the ring on top of the tabled deck. Despite the seeming fairness of this procedure--and you may have your back turned the whole time--on taking back the ring and holding it in your clenched fist you are able to determine the identity of the card and remove it from the deck. Comment: Michael Weber fooled a large group of magicians in Colorado during a Magic in the Rockies Convention using this wonderful trick.
"To achieve great things, two things are needed: a plan and not quite enough time."
-Leonard Bernstein |
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seraph127 Special user 587 Posts
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"Thought Stealer"
The Royal Road to Card Magic, Jean Hugard and Fred Braue pp.23-25 Skill Level: Advanced Beginner Effect: Magicians deal out a row of 6 cards; a spectator is asked to think of any one while the performer's back is turned (completely free choice). When this is done, the cards are replaced and the deck shuffled. The spectator takes the deck and deals one card for each letter in the name of their card (no fudging). The card on the last letter is turned - it is the selection. Impromptu and the performer does not know the card until the spectator reveals it. I believe that it is Mike Skinner of whom the story is told how he would fool magicians with such tricks, then when asked where the miracle came from, he explained that it was from RRTCM.
There are many tricks, and many effects, but rarely a Grand Effect. There are many entertainers, but few real magicians. Many technicians, but few artists who use their art to explore their vision. - Derren Brown, Absolute Magic
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WaseeMagic New user 57 Posts
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Quote:
On Nov 4, 2014, seraph127 wrote: This is my favorite effect out of RRTCM, infact this is the one trick off RRTCM which I use in my gigs and also to fool magicians . I was enjoying the fact it was overlooked by magicians. I have also streamlined the handling by substituing a couple of sleights to minimize the shuffling procedure. |
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seraph127 Special user 587 Posts
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I don't know why "Thought Stealer" is not more popular - it's a miracle-class effect for very little work. As far as simplyfying the shuffle procedure, it had occurred to me that the performer, back to the audiemce, could Bottom Thumb Count the requisite cards and hold a break, then regather the tabled cards on top of the deck, Kick Cut while maintaining the break, shuffle to the break and throw.
There are many tricks, and many effects, but rarely a Grand Effect. There are many entertainers, but few real magicians. Many technicians, but few artists who use their art to explore their vision. - Derren Brown, Absolute Magic
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Vlad_77 Inner circle The Netherlands 5829 Posts
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Quote:
On Nov 5, 2014, seraph127 wrote: Great thinking Seraph! Then again, I would expect nothing less of you; thanks for the tip!
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magicfish Inner circle 7016 Posts
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Believe It Or Not!
Nick Trost The Card Magic of Nick Trost pg.150 -advanced beginner. A deck of cards is cut in half. Half the deck is placed aside, the other half is shuffled faceup and face down. A magical gesture, the jumbled half is now righted and the half which the spectator has been watching is shown to be mixed faceup facedown. Try it out with cards in hand. It doesn't read like much, but it is very magical. And very strong. |
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Vlad_77 Inner circle The Netherlands 5829 Posts
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Hey Magicfish!
I suppose it's a coincidence but I was looking through an issue of The New TOPS and happened upon an effect from ..... Nick Trost! Seems great minds think alike after all.
Anyhow, it is 4:30 AM as I type this and I am too tired to see if this trick is in The Card Magic of Nick Trost or one of the four volumes of Nick Trost's Subtle Card Magic - it probably is or will be in one of the remaining three volumes Nick Trost's Subtle Card Magic, I am just too tired to remember and too knackered to look. I will check later today and if I find it I will post the citation as I am wagering that not too many people have access to The New TOPS. [N.B. The New TOPS is available from The Miracle Factory in digital form for anyone interested. Nick Trost ran the Conjuring with Cards column for virtually the entire run of the journal]. Premonition by Nick Trost The New TOPS, January 1968, v. 8, p. 29. Effect: The performer slips a blue backed card in his pocket at the start of the effect, saying he has a predestined thought that this card will have a bearing in this experiment. Now a red deck is shown and a card is named by the spectator. The blue card in the pocket is the same suit and value as the named card. Skill level: intermediate While Nick Trost is better known for subtlety over sleights, he, like Stewart James, would employ sleights and the principle sleight used here is not a beginner's sleight. In fact, I would be tempted to up the skill level to advanced intermediate as a LOT of work has been done on this sleight. And I need to check out Believe It or Not! There are so many gems in The Card Magic of Nick Trost that I believe I could spend years with this classic and never fully plumb its depths. You are again well ahead of me in our competition. GRRRRRRR 
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seraph127 Special user 587 Posts
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Thanks for the nod, Vlad. I actually think that a fair bit of shuffling is appropriate - if I recall, the authors make a presentational point of explaining that the shuffling allows the spectator to mentally influence the performer to make the cards come out right.
There are many tricks, and many effects, but rarely a Grand Effect. There are many entertainers, but few real magicians. Many technicians, but few artists who use their art to explore their vision. - Derren Brown, Absolute Magic
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inigmntoya Inner circle DC area native, now in Atlanta 2351 Posts
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Quote:
On Nov 5, 2014, Vlad_77 wrote: Would this be your alternate reference? (found via Denis Behr's archive): Bob Longe & Nick Trost - Bob Longe on "A Premonition" Spectator turns over card underneath table, matches prediction Subtle Card Creations - Volume 1 - Page 121 |
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Vlad_77 Inner circle The Netherlands 5829 Posts
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Quote:
On Nov 6, 2014, inigmntoya wrote: No my friend, I checked the reference and it is not the same trick. Unfortunately, magic trick titles aren't always indicative of a specific effect. There is a trick deck effect out called Unshuffled which has no resemblance whatsoever to Paul Gertner's classic Unshuffled. The difference is that there is no under the table work in the Trost trick I referenced in The New TOPS. The effect description faithfully details precisely what the spectator sees. Thank you for your detective work however! I checked the four volumes of Nick Trost's Subtle Card Magic and The Card Magic of Nick Trost and there is no reference to the trick I found in The New TOPS. I am putting together an e-book of some original routines plus variations on two others. This trick is one of them. The sleight in question can easily be substituted for a subtlety thus giving people who haven't mastered the crucial sleight of the original access to this very nice trick. Full credit of course will be given to the original Trost routine but to avoid exposure, I cannot describe the method for the original unless Abbott's and/or The Miracle Factory - whomever owns the rights to The New TOPS would grant permission. |
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Vlad_77 Inner circle The Netherlands 5829 Posts
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Cheap Labour by David Acer
Natural Sections (vol. 1) pp. 20-25. [David notes that the routine originally appeared in the February 1990 issue of MUM. A reworked and rewritten version appeared in Jim Sisti's journal The Magic Menu v.2, n.1, Sept./Oct. 1991, as well as in the January 1994 issue of France's Arcane magazine under the name "La Mission" (issue 73)]. Effect: A card is chosen and removed from the deck along with two indifferent cards. A stickman is then drawn on the back of a fourth card and given the impossible task of finding the selection. True to the task, he multiplies and appears on the backs of all the cards in the four card packet, then vanishes from all the cards but one - of course, it's the selection! -- Skill level: advanced beginner; three sleights are employed To borrow a phrase from Paul Harris, this is a wonderful "piece of strange." This used to be a mainstay in my repertoire when I was still living in the US. I have picked it up again because I need tricks and routines that can transcend language barriers. While most Dutch can speak English, this English speaker cannot speak very much Dutch and it is expensive to learn. So I have had to start over and find very clear plots that I can use to kickstart the magic here. When I performed this in America, the reactions were off the charts. People would laugh and essentially freak out at the crazy stickman trick - which is what people who remembered seeing me perform it would later to refer to it as. It is one of those routines that I would call intrinsically magical; re-read the effect description and you'll get what I mean. THIS is the type of pick a card trick that I think would appeal to magicians who loathe pick a card type tricks. While the plot is obviously pretty humorous, I can see the more artistic among us change this up into some freaky using Tarot cards for instance. I have performed this as an opener for table and walkaround gigs in the past. I changed the routine a tiny bit by showing a card with a stickman already drawn on a card. That in itself is a strange thing to spectators and the routine really does serve well for that first ice breaker that performers seek. It also works beautifully for kids. Imagine performing this with a packet of alphabet cards or cards with hand drawn animals on the faces! I love David Acer's magic and this to me is David Acer at his finest. You owe it to yourself to find this gem of a routine and learn it; you won't be sorry, I promise you! If you don't have Natural Selections, get it and you might as well spring for volume two as well. They are published by Camirand Academy of Magic. While I haven't checked out the handling in The Magic Menu, I am pretty sure that it is as superb because everything published in Jim Sisti's great journal was practical hard hitting magic suitable for virtually any type of performance situation. I have done this for VERY drunk patrons of pubs and bars and it NEVER fails. Lastly, if you are a member of CARC and have the appropriate membership level, you have complete access to MUM. So, the routine is relatively easy to find - certainly more so than the Trost entry I posted some days ago. The routine flows beautifully and it is one that I would just practice for the fun of watching the stickman multiply. Okay, I have dished enough about this wonderful bit of sorcery. Now, get thee hence, track it down and learn it!
Best, Vlad |
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tltq Regular user east coast 161 Posts
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Quote:
On Nov 4, 2014, seraph127 wrote: http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......orum=206 |
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Posted: Oct 29, 2014 10:03 pm 
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