Dr. Zordas

Thanks

That's what I thought.

What do you mean by - there is a full deck hidden therein.

...The wallet contains only one visible card, it cannot - and does not - contain (51) more. I've never had people ask to examine the wallet. Like I said, presented properly, leaving no doubt in the spectator's minds, it's a real killer.

And as I also said earlier, the wallet can be held at finger tips, put down, picked up or thrown down.


Dr. Zordas

The wallet is a beautiful leather wallet, which you show has only one card. If they ask t see the wallet, you are doing the effect wrong.

If you really want to be bold you can ask the spectator to pick up the wallet, open it, and take the prediction card out.

The focus of attention is on the card and not the wallet. As they remove the card simply take the wallet from them and casually toss it aside or pocket it. You do this as you ask them to turn over the top card of the pile of cards (you've freed their hand so they can follow your instruction). Don’t scoff! This handling works, I use it! I haven’t been busted yet!

I suspect that if they turned the wallet over and accidentally, briefly, spotted the “works” that it would not even register on their awareness. That is they would see but not know.

If they were turning the wallet in their hands you would simply ask them to open it and tell everyone what they see inside. That brings the focus back to where it belongs – on the prediction not the wallet.

Now if you want to make the presentation a bit more "mental" and take it a step away from a card trick. Use a business card in the wallet instead of a playing card for the prediction. Write your prediction on the back of your business card, perform the routine as usual, and then leave your business card behind at the end.

Here is a note for table-hopping and reset.

Last night I was hired to do walk-around/table-hopping at a country club function. I took this trick. I simply took four different playing cards from my deck and set them up (in order) in my jacket pocket (you know why). In the other pocket I had four business cards in the same order.

I performed the trick and at the end of the trick I openly took out a business card and pretended to write my next prediction. I put the business card into the wallet and the wallet into my pocket (with the playing cards) and did the “necessary” using one hand (it's easy, try it!). I was reset in less than one second.

I had a guy follow me and watch closely as I performed it a second time. Later the night he walked up when I performed it a third time. Three times is all that I performed it. True I was ready for another couple of performance but was mixing tricks and ended up performing this one only the three times. While it is not an instant reset you can reset it right in front of your audience. I noticed that the stalker compared each business card! He later told me that he knew some magic and couldn't catch my force! What a hoot!

I believe that with just a little thought about your presentation you can make a real “personality” piece out of this trick. While it is not self-working it is not difficult.

Rayg1952, since you have seen the demo and you know the how of the trick then you know that you can make a version of the trick that can be totally examined at the end! Think “low-tack” glue! Or get Carter’s original version and then everything can be examined at the end of the trick.

Harry Murphy

Where Can I find Carter?s original version.

Arthur Carter was a regular columnist for Supreme Magic’s
“Magicgram”. I bought the trick from Supreme in the early 1970’s during a trip to England. It included a wallet (totally ungimmicked!) and one page of instructions.

I believe that Mr. Carter included it in a book. The title escapes me right now. If I come across the reference I will post it here.

Harry,
I used the envelope method for years, but really like Bob's wallet.
I use a business card for the revelation.
Tis only magician's guilt that makes us worry about helpers seeing and understanding the works.
Peace,
Parson

I’m with you Parson. I used Carter’s version for a couple of decades and have totally switched to Solari’s version. It is cleaner and more direct in handling. I use the business card revelation too. My routine is pretty much outlined above.

Having the audience member pick up and open the wallet to take out the prediction really takes the heat off the wallet. So far (only 20ish performances) I haven’t been busted and don’t worry about it at all.

$10.00 is not much of an investment in a decent trick. I recommend that anyone having one or thinking of buying one try my little handling.


Now for an almost impromptu handling. Borrow a deck of cards, glimpse the top (or bottom) card and cop or palm it off to your pocket. Take out your Solari wallet and openly write your prediction. Put the wallet back into your pocket and do the one-hand reset I suggested in my post above. Now do a couple of other tricks (you can do a trick or two with the deck). That to give you some time misdirection.

Now bring your Solari wallet back out and remind the audience that you wrote a prediction. Open it and show your business card. Have the deck shuffled and the cards dealt one at a time until the spectator wants to stop. Drop the wallet on top of the dealt cards. Have the spectator pick it up, open it and read the prediction. Now have the spectator turn over the top card of the pile (the one she/he stopped on) and find that it matches the prediction. Bow!

I'm not trying to be a wise guy.

But what happens if the spectator only deals one or maybe two three or four cards then what.

First of all, Harry: You are so DANG CLEVER!!

I sometimes, depending on the feel I get from the person I'm doing this for will show them what do do and I'll count down a few cards and then give them the deck.

Thanks for the kind words Chris!

Ray, easy as pie! I think that you are trying to make an easy trick difficult!

It is all about spectator management. Of course that is something that comes with a bit of real world practice. First of all YOU know what is supposed to happen, THEY don’t. You also know that, in general, they will do what you tell them to.

So try this, give the spectator the deck, tell them to start dealing from the top of the deck and let the cards drop in a pile right here on the table (deal a couple of card to the table as an example then hand them the deck). When they start dealing the cards you say some minimal encouragements like “that’s right, go on”, “perfect”, “you’ve done this before?” etc.

When the spectator has dealt six or so cards tell them to deal a few more and to stop whenever they feel inclined to do so.

When they finally stop, ask them if they are satisfied at stopping at that point or to deal off a few more cards. If they deal off a card or two more say “I thought so…” “You can stop anytime you want.” When they stop a second time, ask if they want to deal off any more.

When they say no, you immediately drop your wallet onto the top of the tabled stack and remind them that they stopped at that point. Have them take the wallet and open it. The rest is theater!

You control the situation; you keep on talking to the audience to keep them interested (and not counting cards).

If you don’t have audience management skills, or if you cannot keep up a running line of interesting chatter then this trick is not for you.

Let me go back to something I said above. This is a good “personality piece”. That is, it is a trick that allows your personality to shine. It’s about you and not about the trick!

I’ve given you way more than is included in either the Carter or Solari instructions. You should be able to perform this little trick in an entertaining and magical manner. In fact, I’ve given you handlings that I actually use!

Now, now Harry.
You wrote:
"If you don’t have audience management skills, or if you cannot keep up a running line of interesting chatter then this trick is not for you."

If it was done as the video clip describes, I don't see why thin needs to be a "talker."
Of course, that would make it a lot better, but a cut pretty much eliminates any problem. Should the cut be too deep, just have'em do it again.
Peace,
Parson
There is nothing new under the sun.

Parson, you are spot on as usual my friend!

However Ray was asking about my/Carter’s dealing the cards handling and not the cut. My thought is that this trick is almost self-working to the point that a performer might just use the boxed instructions and not try to infuse the routine with any personality. It is so easy that it risks be presented as a throwaway and end up having no impact at all.

Yep, I know that the cut the deck handling risks the same problem that Ray was worried about. That is, not enough cards to hide the dirty deed. Your suggestion/handling of cutting again is the answer there.

I don’t think that the routine that Bob Solari provides is the strongest or best use of this sweet little trick.

I strongly agree with you that there is nothing new under the sun!!!!!

As of tonight I’ve put over 45 performances on this little prop! I may have to buy a couple more for when this starts to get beat-up, worn, or simply “borrowed”. Of course I could find a nice leather ID folder and make them myself but at ten bucks it is not worth the trouble. I’ll give Bob his due!

Harry,
I know what you mean about giving Bob his due. But I have been very tempted to "fix" all my wallets.
Also, have found some that need no "fixing" at all. If you know what I mean.
Peace,
Parson

You know that a small square of carpet tape, toupee tape, or double back tape works just as well. In fact you can do this with a borrowed wallet and a bit of wax.

Just last night, I was challenged to “do it again”. The guy had a nice fat wallet (I watched him pay for his drinks). I had a ball of wax on my lower coat button (for card to ceiling), and I decided to take use an idea from Michael Pizzolla’s “Synchronicity III”. I picked up the deck and squared it (glimpsing the top card), took his wallet and laid it on the deck and put my business card on top of the wallet to use as a writing surface (all held in the left hand). I wrote my prediction, flipped open his wallet and put the prediction inside with the money and handed him the deck to shuffle and deal.

The rest was theater.

OK that is just the bare bones of the interaction and trick but it floored the guy. His wallet, he shuffled, he dealt, he turned over the top card that he stopped at, and he opened the wallet and removed the prediction (which matched his card!). Not pure to be sure, but sweet!

Harry, you should have that routine published. It's fiendish!!!

I also use a prediction on a business card, but I place it in a small pay envelope and when I open the wallet to remove the envelope I stop and say something like "wait a moment, you take it out so I don't touch anything" and pass the wallet across, do the 'needful' as they remove the envelope and then I ditch the wallet. This I think increases the suspense slightly and also as I recap what has taken place gets their mind to 'forget' seeing the wallet near the cards.
I also have my driving licence on the other side of the wallet, as this I believe, removes any lingering warmth on the wallet(as it's just for keeping my licence in)
I also do a creepy Witch thing using around forty pictures taken from the internet of women from the past in really old photos.These I make the size of a poker cards and print out. I then place a old photo of a witches gravestone(gotta love google!!)where my driving licence would have been, and in the envelope the picture I'm going to force, If you know what I mean.Then it's a story of the witches grave and how after being wrongly hanged for witchcraft she can place her soul into yours after you've seen her grave blah blah blah...... just think darkened room candle etc. Great reactions in the right circumstances.

I just recently learned this trick and afraid to reveal what book I learned it from.

In this book it teaches to use a sealed envelope with the prediction card inside. This envelope is to be pulled out of your jacket and dropped onto a pile of cards. Don't have to glimpse, palm, or any other sleigh. Extremely simple to do, but you have to use your own regular deck of bicycle cards.

I have decided to use a single card from the new Vintage 1800 deck as the prediction card. With the prediction card in the envelope, I mail the envelope to myself with the Harry Houdini return address at the top of the envelope. When the spectator opens the envelope they find an old prediction card inside, this is where I tell them that it was Harry Houdini who predicted the card.

The presentation that I just wrote is something that I have not tried yet, because as you can see the story does not make sense. I just made it up a minute ago and was hoping some of you could could help me out with it. Just wanted to have an excuse for using the Vintage 1800 deck that I have from Ellusionist.

The Wallet that everyone is talking about is currently out of stock, but it looks like something I might want to buy.

Thanks

Try Ebay Friend, a guy in America has a few!!

Alakazam.co.uk also stocks them for around £13.00