I'm looking for references to tricks using Si Stebbins or any rotational stack (not a memorized deck). What is your favorite trick and why?


JPL

Favorite Si Stebbins Effect

"The Uncanny Scott" by Ron Wilson

Get the book, in there is a miracle using the 8 king set up in a very different way.

Richard Osterlind describes the method to his own arranged deck entitled "breakthrough card system" in many of his videos and books. His material involving this arrangment is worth a look.

There's a Lie Detector effect using a Si-Stebbin stack that I use quite frequently. I'm unsure of the creator

The Lie Detctor effect is VERY good Too,Resets instantly Repeatable
And easy.

Is that the Lie Detector from the Trost book? If it is, it's very good. The Ron Wilson routine is quite clever and worth looking in to. Steven Youell has some very nice stuff in his WMD notes. Be sure to take a look at the Si Stebbins section of The Encyclopedia of Card Tricks, too.

-Karl

You're right Karl. Youell has some good ideas.
Also, check out Michael Close's Closely Guarded Secrets. It's geared toward
a mem deck, which a si stebbins can be, but the effect "the luckiest card in las vegas" is a nice one with a great presentation.

Any other?

I believe the strongest effect with a Si Stebbins deck is "The Encore Card Stab" by Al Koran. You can find it in his book: "Al Koran's Professional Presentations" edited by Hugh Miller. It was originally published in 1968 by Harry Stanley in England. I believe it has been re-published and is still available.

Nick

Out of Body by Larry Becker is an powerful effects with a cyclic stack like Si Stebbins. This is a top notch routine with a powerful result.

I think we discussed this somewhere else, but you can do a very simple poker deal from Si Stebbins. Cut a deuce to the bottom and deal four hands of poker. Each hand will be a straight flush of higher and higher value, with the dealer getting the royal. It's a good trick to break up the stack as well.

The Evolving Dream by Stewart James............spelling any thought of card via Si-Stebbins......

I use si stebbins for a card to pocket routine that is chan canasta inspired. It basically involves the spectator cutting the deck behind their back untill there happy then placing the top 2 cards, 1 in each back pocket without looking, the cards are then bought out face up, (so to disprove any marking on the deck, but in reality providing you with the key card) and cards are named. all you have to do is notice which card goes in which pocket first.

I love to false shuffle the deck, ask for the name of a card and tell people how many cards it is down from the top. I also use it in a tarot routine whereby I tell the spectator that a psychic shouldn't need to see the cards taken, but should instead pick up on them, which I then proceed to do, adding the usual meaning for the spectator's life as I go.

I wanted to see what other things you could stack (Rhine cards, alphabet and number cards, whatever) so I analysed a succession of numbers of cards up to about 100. It turns out that multiples of some primes will fit. The minor arcana doesn't fit for a duty cycle of 3, unfortunately.

I have Osterlind s Double Down on dvd ...he explains it but for the life of me I cant figure out the process >>> I have watched and rewatched ...there has got to be something I am doing wrong.I understand every thing up until he makes card selections from both people ...and they are the same card .!?

Gene Anderson has a manuscript available that uses Si Stebbins, it's an entire performance piece.
Also in 21at Century Card Magic by Jim Swain there's the effect called "The Explosion"

In my ebook "The King has Left the Building..." I have and effect called "A Guarded Revelation" that uses Si Stebbins or any other cyclical stack and a card guard.


Jeff Pierce

Semi-Automatic Card Tricks V1 page 143 Killocation
Semi-Automatic Card Tricks V2 page 46 Sly Stebbins
Semi-Automatic Card Tricks V3 page 110 The Bilton Diary
140 Stebbin Out
181 Face Off
204 Bite Me
206 Strike Three
208 Underhand Location
Semi-Automatic Card Tricks V4 page 152 Speed Reader II
154 Dealer's Choice
168 Bullet- Ridden
Semi-Automatic Card Tricks V5 page 155 The Deck Will Tell
160 Bait & Switch
179 Con-Sense
Semi-Automatic Card Tricks V6 page 199 Si Senor
201 Si Fry
216 Fish Stew
224 Si's Secret
Semi-Automatic Card Tricks V7 page 163 Si Kick

Van

Encore Card Stab...I've been doing it for 35 years. Great trick... but skip the butter knife idea (the edge is right, the blade finish is right, but it just doesn't capture the audience's imagination)....I've use a small meat cleaver, and a ton of other blades. One of the best knives I found was a sporting store demo hunting knife, with a shiny blade, and a factory dulled edge....which was just right.

This trick is now problematic for airline travel, if you normally carry-on your magic.

Last word.....no matter how well you estimate, or how confident you are as a performer, remember...unless you have nerves of steel, even a micromillimeter of shake in your hands will make this tricky to do correctly.

I am just wondering. Will you use the Si Stebbins setup for a simple trick to make the selection as fair as possible ? Is it worth stacking the whole deck to know one card to make the selection fair and allow the spectator to insert the card and shuffle? what's your opinion ?