I've been experimenting with the principles contained in this clever ebook, and I thought I'd share some of my thoughts on the subject in the hopes that other practitioners will chime in with their own ideas.


1. THE "ANY CARD AND ANY NUMBER" SELECTION

In my experience, spectators tend to select a number somewhere in the middle of the offered range (I often get 25, 26 or 27).
Couple that with the fact that you have a 50% chance of the selected card currently resting in the lower half of the deck, and you've got some long and repetitive dealing ahead of you.
(Those who know the effect will understand what I mean.) For that first sequence, Tommy says that should you run out of cards, you simply ask the spectator to gather up the deck and start dealing again. And I'd like to avoid that if possible.

So while it is true that the spectator can select ANY number, it is preferrable (because of the reasons highlighted above) for the spectator to select as high a number as possible.
That will limit the amount of dealing you'll need done.
For that reason, I've started presenting the opening selection of a card and a number differently. Instead of saying "Name any card and any number," I say something along the lines of "Mentally select a card, any one in the deck, and select a number from 1 to -- well, you can go all way up to 52." (With a subtle emphasis on "up to 52.)
This tends to steer the spectator into a higher range, and I'll often get a number in the 30s or 40s.
This takes a lot of the dealing out and makes the effect more to the point.


2. THE OSE TRIPLE CUT & WHY SHOULD IT MATTER THAT THE MAGICIAN NEVER TOUCHES THE DECK

Right before spectator 1 counts down to his selected card (at his selected number, Tommy suggests using the Ose Triple Cut, and proposes having it done by the spectator so that the magician can claim (rightly so) that he never touched the deck up to that first revelation.

There are two things to discuss here.
First, the Ose Cut. It's certainly an effective move, but it's at its best when performed smoothly, with good rhythm and precise moves.
If you have this done by the spectator, you lose the rhythm and the precise moves, essentially because the poor guy is afraid to mess it up and wants to make sure he's going what you want. That makes the cut less deceptive -- still viable, mind you, but less deceptive. I've had spectators question the Ose Cut when they did it themselves, but NEVER when I perform it.
So I much prefer to perform the cut (or any other false cut) myself. (And that's if you feel you do need a cut there, which you may not.)

Which brings us to the second point: the magician never touching the deck.
This seems to be a prerequisite for a lot of people looking into ACAAN effects, but I honestly fail to see why.
It's all about what the spectators believe. In the particular case of Subtle Scam, what happens if I take the deck and give it a "cut" before I hand it back to spectator 1 so that he can deal down to his chosen position in the deck? The worst that can happen is that spectators will think I've somehow positioned the right card at the right spot.
Think about it -- if a spectator thinks my cut put the right card in the right spot, it means he believes that I have the ability to know exactly where the chosen card lies (in a shuffled deck) AND that I am able to cut exactly the right amount of cards required to put that selected card in the selected position.
Now how is that a bad thing? Nobody (all right, very few people) will believe you actually have magical powers. But they can very well believe you have the abilities I've just described, and that makes you a legend -- a lot more than some alleged mystical powers would.

Plus, your cutting the deck gives them an out that takes the heat away from mathematical considerations. And what's more magical (again, in the spectator's mind): that you've mathematically maneuvered things to that his card falls in the right spot, or that you can take a shuffled deck and instantly cut any card to any location without even looking?

I used to use Subtle Scam all the time, since I didn't have a memorized deck available, but now that I have memorized a deck, I have been killing with Alain Nus version of Any Card....I use my own random stack, and I also perform

Mnemonicosis by Tamariz
Weighing the Cards
Plus any other memorized deck work.

When no memorized deck available, subtle Scam is the way to go!

Alex

A clever use of Subtle Scam is using it as out in psychological ACAAN version.

About the Tommy's ACAAN using the Memorized deck I suggest also to see Final Cut, Duplicity, Mixed Revelation
and Chaos ACAAN (This last one is another good one that you can use as out)

-Antonio

I was going to post another topic regarding Tommys work but thought I might as well post here.
Looking on his site he has many ACCAN's Subtle Scam being one of them as well as Beyond Reloaded and Destiny 2.
I was just wondering which one is the best and if any is worth getting. I was confused at what would be the best thing to try from there.

My suggestion in descending order of preference: Subtle Scam, Dark Thief & Entanglement, Beyond Reloaded and The Magician Dream.
However, all these pdfs are a collection of ACAAN plot that use different methods to reach the climax.
I don't suggest Destiny 2 because you may not like it.

MP

Just out of interest why would I not like Destiny 2, the videos on the page seem quite good?

Some of this Tommy's methods are quite difficult, rely on several outs, or require actions that may not seem logical to an audience.

His recent work has been better, however, and has gained him a good reputation that the Destiny titles may have tarnished, because although many have benefited from these works, others have negativity critiqued them.

It is a rare talent to be able to come up with as many solutions as Tommy has in regard to ACAAN, but all of his works reflect his creativity, and "thinking outside the box" does not always mean 100% practical material.

CW

When I read Duplicity I said: Wow! This looks like just about the perfect ACAAN--well, double ACAAN--and a huge scam to boot.

Deck is on the table in its box. A couple of cards and numbers are named. Spectator opens box and counts. The cards are at the numbers! No fooling around! No sleights. No gimmicks. No math or watching the count or sidesteps. This seems to be genius.

I immediately started to devote my spare time to memorizing a deck. Just to do this.

It seems like a throwaway effect--just a page or so of writing. Was anyone else stunned by this, or am I nuts?

Lots of people love Duplicity, it is so clever!
However, many people may've enc ountered it earlier when Stephen Tucker did a similar thing I believe?

But I love it

Kyle

Yes, but the Tommy's effect is super clean, you don't need to touch the deck ever or to perform anything.

MP

I might give Subtle Scam a go first then.

About Duplicity ACAAN in Inner Thought section I posted just my idea in order to
have a perfect ACAAN with probability > 1/3.

Try to give a look.

MP

Does anyone mind if I boost this back to the top of the pile?

Just lately I've become a bit of an ACAANoholic and checked out quite a few.

Barrie Richardson Impromptu Card at Any Number has always been in my set list but its always irked me a bit that its only "A card at" and not an "Any Card at."

I was a little sceptical at first when I read the Subtle Scam threads that surely, it can't be up to much for a dozen dollars. But when I read the comments form a few 'names' I just had to take the plunge.

Well, I can honestly say that, at just over seven quid, Subtle Scam has to be the most amazing value for money that I've spent in my relatively short magical journey. The e-book is a mine of information and it is updated FREE when Tommy thinks of anything worth adding! I'd have expected something of this quality to have been at least £25-£30. I even wrote to Tommy and told him so.

If there are any others, like me, who are unsure about this - than put your doubts to one side. At this price, its a no brainer! I could understand reservations if it were $50 - but this is a steal.

I played with all the options that Tommy goes into in such detail with in this well presented 20 page (when printed double-sided) ebook.

I settled for the Subtle Scam Variant - Reverse Order and ran it past the Ultimate Critic. She gave it a staggering 8/10 and said it should go straight into the routine as the opener!

It's a thing of outstanding natural beauty in mentalism and belongs here in Penny - but as its a card effect, I'm gonna trawl the Workers to see who using which version.

I'm really pleased with this purchase. It's not often these days I get over-excited by something new (well, new to me.)

Where can I get this ebook?

Thanks

Try here: http://sites.google.com/site/m2mmagictrick/subtle-scam
or on Lybrary.

MP

Effects are EFFECTS . They don't need to be real.

What´s the difference between " ANY CARD" and " A CARD" in the mind of an audience if a competent performer creates the a false reality of that ... ? NONE.

If you cant create the "Any Card" real situation, CREATE the memory of that.That's how I play the ACAAN in real performances. After the performances the simple recapitulation of events are created by my participants :
"I thought of a card, he names a number. The card was in that number".

Hands off.. Hands on... Only bothers to performers.

Thanks for that Amira. I can now do both. Okay?

Hehe... Say thanks to Berglas , not me

False reality or memories works well if the audience don't try to back track on the secret.
If you believe the audience is not so smart to don't see the differences you make mistake.

If the performer touches the deck the audience will say that this is good trick and perfomer is a really good magician

If the performer doesn't touch the deck ever the audience will say that this is impossible: It is a miracle or he uses a stooges.
(Look the performance of Marc Paul on Youtube)

Tommy is created this routine Subtle Scam works well without you need to touch the deck ever.

Virtually, you can perform this effect via webcam also, but the deck is not your hand, but in spectator hand from the other side the webcam.

This is the difference (obvious that this is just my opinion)

MP

Nicely put Enter!