Ambitious Card

THE MANUSCRIPT SERIES

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THE WORKING PROFESSIONAL’S’S AMBITIOUS CARD

Jim Sisti

THE WORKING PROFESSIONAL’S AMBITIOUS CARD Written by Jim Sisti Digital Photography by Richard Robinson INTRODUCTION Though there is little that is “new” in the way of sleights here, this routine came from years of careful trial and error. The five phases represented here are the final result. I’ve found, after thousands of performances, that for the walk-around performer, this routine is just the right length to maintain spectator interest. Also, like any magic routine where the same effect is apparently repeated a number of times, each phase offers an apparently more impossible set of circumstances. It also ends with a natural applause cue.

PHASE ONE Fan the cards toward the spectator and ask that a spot card be selected (Photo 1). Explain that you’re going to have him sign the card and that a signature will not show up as readily on a court card. Once a selection has been made, give the spectator a felt-tip marker and have them sign their name boldly on the card’s face (Photo 2). Hold the deck in standard Mechanic’s Grip in the left hand, using your thumb to riffle down the outer corner. Invite the spectator to stop you in the middle. When they’ve stopped you, the right hand lifts the cards above the stop point and the lower packet is extended for the selection to be replaced (Photo 3). When the card has been returned, the top half of the deck is replaced and the right little finger holds a minute break. This break is only held momentarily. Tip the deck forward so that its top is angled toward the spectator and perform the Classic Pass (Photo 4). This is done while you are apparently tabling the deck. To the spectator, it should appear as if the card was replaced in the center of the deck and you merely put the deck onto the table (Photo 5). While it’s true that another control could be used here other than the Pass, you should keep in mind that the effectiveness of the first appearance of the selection on top of the deck will be in direct proportion to the amount of handling to the deck that occurs after the selected card’s replacement. For example, a Side Steal, when done well, would be a worthy replacement for the Pass but the standard Double Undercut would strip the first phase of almost any magical value. In performance, if you feel that your control

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technique (be it the Pass or Side Steal) was a bit off, you may Double Lift to show an indifferent top card before tabling the deck. This should only be done, however, when you’ve inadvertently given the spectator a reason to believe that something has happened. Explain to the spectator that, because the card has been signed, his selection now feels that it’s better than all of the other cards in the deck. (As a joke, I always add, “…which is no reflection on you as a person.”) You now stress that there has been no apparent funny business by saying, “You see, though there’s been no cuts, shuffles or magician’s sneaky stuff, if I just merely snap my fingers, your card sifts its way through all of the other cards and rises to the top.” I conclude this first phase by turning over the selection and leaving it face up on the tabled deck (Photo 6).

PHASE TWO

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Pick up the deck with your right hand and place it into the left hand back into Mechanic’s Grip. Pluck the face-up selection off the top of the deck with the right hand by the edges with the thumb at the near edge and the other fingers at the far edge. As you lift the card, engage the card directly under the selection and lift it up at the rear for about a quarter-inch to prepare for the Tilt maneuver (Photo 7). Snap the selection off of the fingertips so that you now hold it with the thumb in back and fingers on its face. Turn it face down and apparently insert the card into the rear of the deck. To enhance the Tilt illusion, first angle the selected card minutely and use it to push some cards out of the center (Photo 8). Then, move the card up into your Tilt break (Photo 9). From the front, it will appear to the spectators that you have genuinely replaced the card into the center (Photo 10). Square everything up. Now, snap your fingers and do a Hit Double Lift (Photo 11), showing the selected card’s second return to the top of the deck (Photo 12).

PHASE THREE Do a double turnover to apparently turn the selection face down on top of the deck (Photo 13) and thumb off the top card into the right hand (Photo 14). Insert it into the near end of the deck face down in its center. Keep it outjogged for half of its length (Photo 15). The spectators should believe at this point that this card is the selection. Now, do another Hit Double Lift (Photo 16), apparently showing that the top card of the deck is an indifferent one. I usually say something like, “Now, we know that your card

can’t be here (indicating the indifferent card showing on top due to the Double Lift as in Photo 17) because your card is here (indicating the outjogged card as in Photo 18).” Turn down the double, wait a beat and then push the outjogged card flush (Photo 19). Turn over the top card to show that the selection has once again traveled to the top and leave it face up on the deck (Photo 20). My accompanying patter, after turning the double face down, “However, if I push your card in here…then it comes here. Simple, yes?”

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PHASE FOUR

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The signed selection is on top of the deck face up. Pick up the deck with the right hand and put it into left-hand Mechanic’s Grip. Leave the selection face up and slip cut it into the middle of the deck (Photo 21). Replace the upper portion but backjog it by about an inch (Photo 22). This is apparently for the spectator to get one last glimpse of the card and its position. However, this really provides you with a way to easily obtain a break one card above the face-up selection. Place your index finger on the outer edge of the pack and tilt your hand forward. The backjogged packet will slide forward, flushing in the front. In the back, however, you will find one card injogged (Photo 23). With the right thumb, push down on the injogged card and obtain a break above it with the left little finger. Square up the deck while maintaining this break. Perform the Classic Pass yet again (Photo 24). When this has been accomplished, the selection will be face up directly below the top card. With the right thumb, lift up the top two cards in the back and get a momentary little finger break. This will aid you in being able to lift the top two cards off as one, which you now do with your thumb on the near edge and your fingers on the far edge (Photo 25). With the left thumb, push the new top card off the side of the deck halfway (Photo 26) and lever it face up on top of the deck with the double card in the right hand (Photo 27). Replace the double card on top of the deck but injogged so as to expose about half of the face-up card on top (Photo 28). You will now perform the Paintbrush Change to apparently turn this indifferent card into the selection. With your thumb in the rear of the pack and your fingers lightly on the back of the top card, push the double forward until it is flush with the deck (Photo 29). Use your left index finger as a stop to ensure that everything aligns properly on the far (spectator’s) side. Now, with your right fingers, pull just the top, face-down, card back half way to show the change (Photo 30). For maximum impact, the change should be done smoothly but quickly. One moment, the spectators see an indifferent card, it’s covered for an

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instant and then, it has apparently changed into the signed card.

PHASE FIVE To end the routine, turn the double face down and cleanly thumb the top card off the deck onto the table (Photo 31). The spectators should believe that this is the selection. Cut half of the cards in your left hand off with your right, holding them with the thumb in the near left-hand corner and the middle finger on the outer right-hand corner. The index finger rests on the middle of the deck (Photo 32). By flexing the thumb and middle finger and exerting pressure with the index, you’ll find that you can spring the cards with a great deal of control into a neat pile. What’s more, with practice, you’ll be able to cascade the cards but retain the top one in your right hand. This will be the finale for the routine. Once again, the spectators believe that the signed card is on the table. Spring the cards in your right hand onto the apparent selection in the manner just described (Photo 33) but retain the top one. If done properly, the flourish should provide its own misdirection and the fact that you have one card left in your hand will, most times, go unnoticed. Ask the spectator, “Did you see that?” The spectator will jump to the conclusion that the card is now on top again. Though that would certainly be magical enough, snap the card that remains in your hand over to show that the selection has made a very impressive appearance (Photo 34). The disbelieving spectator diving for the tabled cards will be ample reward for your efforts.

CREDITS Tilt (or Depth Illusion)—Dai Vernon or Edward Marlo, depending on who you talk to. Paintbrush Color Change—Dai Vernon and Stanley Collins

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