When performing thought of cards across how do you get around asking the spectator what card they thought of so you can avoid the your the magician so you should know already comment ?

Have you actually had this happen and if so what kind of performance scenario? Or are you just preparing in case it does?

It's not presented as a mind reading effect, surely the emphasis on them thinking of a card is that no-one could possibly know except themselves, making it more impossible for the performer to do anything. Perhaps you could frame it so that they visualize the card they are thinking of travelling from one packet to the other. The performer apparently doesn't know what any of the cards are. Only THEY can verify whether the card(s) they thought of actually moved.

AVOID the temptation to say, "I guess being a magician I should already have known you'd be an ass too, but I didn't".

Obviously you pick people to assist who look to be enjoying the show etc. but assuming you did, and are not a bad judge of character one reason a spectator might say something like this is that they FORGOT the card and are embarrassed to say so. In most versions you show cards have gone from packet A and cards have arrived in packet B. Suggest if they don't want to name the card, to look through packet B to verify for everyone the card they were thinking of arrived. Seeing it again may jog their memory but also gives them an 'out' anyway of their embarrassing predicament.

Also I wouldn't ask the question as
"What card did you think of?" but rather "Tell everyone the card you thought of please".

Hope those thoughts are helpful.

It is possible with particular sets of cards to actually reveal which cards people are thinking of but personally I don't think its worth the effort when the effect is strong anyway. If you want to read minds there are better demonstrations.

By the way, for those that haven't read my book on the subject it's called "Across The Void".

Hey Paul, I haven't had it happen as yet as my presentation eliminates this problem via a joke but just wanted to hear peoples thought on the subject and your suggestion "Tell everyone the card you thought of please" is better than just asking what the card is.

I have your book Across The Void and have a question for you regarding Peter Duffies Oversiter.....when counting the 8 cards how do you rationalise counting only 4 then flipping them over and under the packet before counting the last 4 cards as this seems a little contrived so I'm presuming it could be covered with some clever patter ?

I enjoyed reading your book Paul and I'm sure we're all ready for a second addition although I was disappointed that Edward G Browns packet switch wasn't described after reading about it only to find it wasn't accompanied with a description :-(

Thanks again for your input Paul.

Warren, not done it for years but never did rationalize it, just did it. If you really need some kind of motivation, assume you are going slightly faster than the spectator (which you should be because he/she is following your lead). Pause and put your cards under the packet to free up your hand to gesture at their packet with a query, "Everything good so far?" Get them to put their cards underneath so you are both in the same position to start again. If you come up with some clever patter post it here Even though you're counting slowly you're talking about a procedure that only lasts seconds.

Regarding the Edward Brown packet switch, I think I gave a credit as to a source where it could be found. It wasn't mine to describe and was a marketed routine at one time. A thread on the Café might be helpful for sources:
http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......&forum=2

Thanks for the link Paul, I managed to buy a pdf explaining the switch but it wasn't the one I thought it was perhaps it's the warlock packet switch I'm after.....A few years back I did a version that involved a packet switch which if memory serves correct involved the cards being held in a biddle type grip does that sound similar to the Warlock switch ?

Honestly cannot remember the Warlock switch, maybe it is. Pretty sure Peter Warlock published his handling of the Brown switch in Pentagram/New Pentagram magazine. Though with so many pages to go at there, not the most helpful reference! I played with the Brown one decades ago but never used it. I don't think the early descriptions of it were very clear at all. Don't remember the details now.

From a Biddle grip you might be able to use a Veeser count to switch packets.

Thanks for coming to the rescue yet again Paul though I'm not 100% sure I think that may well be it

Maybe you are interessted in looking in to the version of Juan Tamariz wich he published on one of the "Lessons in Magic" DVDs. If I remember correctly he lets the cards travel bevor he knows the cards. In one packet are two less and in the other 2 more. Then he shows the faces of the cards, where the two are missing and only then he askes, wether wich one they were thinking of and wether it's really their cards that are missing. Then he shows the other packet, where the two thought of cards of course are in.

Bruce Bernstein's version uses a Biddle grip.

Greg Chapman's The Devil's Staircase has a nice way around the naming the card issue. The spec never has to name it.

Thanks for your input it's much appreciated although I did find what I was looking for thanks to Paul

I think that you are asking for a solution to a problem that really does not exist. Cards Across effects (including Thought of Cards Across) are feats of magic not mentalism. No matter how you dress it up, it is a magic trick. Therefore, you should still need to ask for the specific cards as you are a magician and not a mind reader.

And since this effect has been brought up, here is a link to Psych-Go, which is my version of this effect. It is one of my favorite effects to perform for laymen as well as magicians.

http://www.lybrary.com/psychgo-p-626746.......91cbc4b9