Steve Beam - Vienna Notes

VIENNA NOTES Special Lecture by Steve Beam for Vienna, Austria May, 1995

magician removes a card from the pack and places it face down on the table. 'This cardis the key to the mystery. What is the nameof your card?" The spectator names his card. "Please turn that card over." It is not the selection. "As I said earlier,

KILLOCATION Steve Beam

nobodybut you knew the identityofyour card. But I knewthe location as indicatedby this card." The magician deals down a number of cards equal to the value of the tabled card. The selected card is at that location. The Work. Take a face up shuffled pack in your right hand, holding it from above. Use your right forefinger to swivel cut the top third of the pack into the palm up left hand as shown in figure 1. Tell the spectator that you want him to think of one of the cards he sees but not to let you know when he has chosen a card. Use your left thumb to peel cards into your left hand on top of the left hand's packet Peel the cards singly, counting

Effects in which a volunteer merely thinks of a card and the magician subsequently locates the selection are among my favorites. This is truly an impossible location. However, since the method description is long, you may think of this as the impossible description. Stick with me and you will have a miracle in your hands. In this miracle, the spectator merely thinks of a card. The magician locates it in a fair and direct manner. Effect. The magician takes a borrowed and shuffled deck from the shuffler. Turning it face up and holding it from above in his right hand, he starts thumbing cards off from the face of the pack with his left thumb. One by one he peels about a third of the pack into the left hand, asking a spectator to mentally select one of the cards he sees. The cardician instructs the spectator not to give any sign that he has selected a card. Closing up the pack and giving it a quick shuffle, the magician turns the pack face up. "I am going to make your cardturninvisible. Canyou see your card now?" Of course the answer is in the negative since the selection is in the middle of pack. "ThenI guessI havesucceededsinceyou cannotsee

your card. It must be invisible. I can take my applause now if you wish." The audience realizes that the magician is probably bluffing. "Oh.you don't believeme. Allowme to showyou." The magician fans the pack toward the spectator. The selection is still in the pack and still visible. "Okay, well I guessyou will

believe me next time, won't you? Otherwise, there won't be any trick... kinda like now." The magician appears to be

Figure I

stalling for time trying to figure out what to do.

them to yourself as you go. Injog the sixth card slightly and remember it; but do not change the pace as you deal through the pack. The remaining cards, up to a count of fifteen, should be pulled onto the left packet so that they disguise the injogged

"Well.I stilldon't knowtheidentityofyour cardbecause you are theonlypersonin the worldwho knowsit. But I don't have to know what your card is, only where it is." The PUBLISHED BY TRAPDOOR PRODUCTIONS

©I995 BY STEVEN L. BEAM 1

what he told you, the effect on him is that he saw his card somewhere in the middle of the pack. If he doesn't say anything during the top five cards, continue until you have spread about a third of the pack. This will mean that you will not yet have exposed the middle five possible selections. Ask the spectator, "Have you seen your card?" If he says yes, repeat the question from the last paragraph to convince him that he hasn't imparted anything to you and then square up the pack. You know his card is one of the top five. If he says no, say, "That's because your card is invisible." Spread until you spread the middle five card bank. Continue slowly past these until you have spread a total of about two thirds of the pack. "Have you seen your card?" If he says yes, continue spreading quickly through the pack. Act surprised again that he has seen his card and square the pack. You know his card is one of the middle five card bank. If he says no, you know his card is one of the bottom five cards. You can spread through to the five to confirm. I prefer to lower the spread as I get to the bottom ten or so cards. I continue spreading until I have spread through the complete pack, but he can't see the faces of the last few cards. "As I said, your card is now invisible. I don't know what your card is. You are the only one who knows that. But I do know its location." Cut the deck so that there are two cards of the five on top and three on the bottom. If his card is among the top five, simply cut three to the bottom. If it is one of the bottom cards, cut two to the top. If it is one of the middle stack, spread through the faces of the cards as if you are trying to locate the selection. Cut the pack behind the first card to the rear (left) of the key card. The selection will be one of the three face cards of the left halfor one of the two rear cards of the right half. Place the halves on the table and riffle shuffle them together, ensuring the left halfdrops its bottom three cards first and the right half drops its top two cards last. No matter which situation originally occurred, the selection is now one of the top two or bottom three cards of the pack. From here, you have simply to proceed into the overhand shuffle as explained in issue # 13 of The Trapdoor in a trick called Jinxed (I 986). Briefly, note the bottom card of the pack. Subtract one from its value to arrive at a key number. If the bottom card is a five, subtract one for your key, four. If it is a number larger than a seven, subtract one number from the number of letters needed to spell the value. For example, if the bottom card is a queen, your key would be five letters minus one, or four. Hold the deck in the left hand in position for an overhand shuffle. Undercut half the pack, run your key number. Outjog the next card as you count one again. Run your key number again starting with this count of one. When you finish the running your key number, drop the remainder of the pack on top of the cards in your left hand. Undercut beneath the outjog and throw these cards on top of the pack. Square the pack. You are now set up as you were in Jinxed. Assume the bottom card was a five. You have set it up so that the original top two cards are in positions five and six from the top. The bottom three cards are set up in a positions five, six, and seven from the bottom. Spread through the pack to remove the card which you will place on the table. Spread from the face and remove the card which was originally on the bottom before you

condition of the sixth card. After you transfer the fifteenth card, "Did you think of one of the cards?" This is asked as you drop the right packet on top of the left. If the spectator says he didn't select a card, simply square up and start again. If he did think of one, you are ready to proceed. Lift up on the injogged card with your right thumb. Lift off all the cards above and including the injogged card. As your right hand picks up the upper half, the left thumb rotates the left hand's packet face down. You are now in position for an overhand shuffle. See figure 2. Run five cards from the right packet to the top of the left and throw the balance of the right packet on top of the left.

Figure 2 Here is your current situation. The spectator had a choice from a bank of fifteen cards. Five of these are on top and five are on bottom. The remaining five are in the middle, the lowermost of these being the key card you are remembering (the sixth card from the bank of fifteen). You must now narrow the possible locations for the selected card to one of the three groups of five. You will do this with patter and actions. Turn the pack face up and hold it in the left hand in dealing position. "Is this your card?" There is a one in fifteen chance that the card on the face is the selection. If it is, you have located the selection. End the trick here as a miracle. Tell the audience that you will make the selected card tum invisible. Riffle the pack magically. "Can you see your card? No? Then it must be invisible." Pause for the response and then, "Here. I' 11 show you." Lift up the faces of the pack toward your spectator and slowly start spreading the cards from your left hand to your right. If the spectator's card is among the top five, you want him to see it. Usually he will let you know. If he tells you that he saw his card, quickly spread through the pack and act surprised. "You saw your card?" The idea here is to convince the spectator that he didn't impart any useable information to you. You should appear that you only know that the card is somewhere in the pack. By spreading through the pack and then asking him to confirm

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convinced you have no idea where the card is after it shows up unexpectedly when you thought it was gone. In the original, the magician asked if the spectator had seen his selection while he too was looking at the same cards. That tended to make the narrowing down process more obvious. After devising the surefire solution for knowing the selection was among a certain fifteen cards, I experimented with the more risky versions which I use almost exclusively now. The five card out is from issue # 13 ofThe Trapdoor and was published asJin.xed. Do not overlook this as it can beused to reveal one of five cards (for more than five, refer to the issue) at any point when you have the selection narrowed down to small group. It doubles as a very convincing out. Killocation was first published in 1993 in SemiAutomatic Card Tricks, Volume One.

started the shuffle (a five in our example). There is a twenty percent chance (one in five) that this is the selection. Just in case it isn't, note the two cards immediately to the left of the five as you remove it See figure 3. Confidently table the five face down and ask for the name of the selected card. Regardless of what card the spectator names, ask him to turn over the tabled card. If it is the selection, take your bows and act as if that is how you intended to end the trick. If it is not the selection, proceed confidently. "As I said. I didn' t know what your card was. but I did know where it was located. This card tells us where." If he named one of the two cards which was to the left of the five when you removed it, hold the pack face up and count five cards to the table. Either hand him the fifth or the sixth If he named a different card, whichever is his selection. card (one you did not note) his card is either fifth or sixth from the top of the pack. Hold the pack face down and deal five cards face up to the table. If the fifth card is his, hand it to him dramatically. If it is not, turn over the sixth card with a flair and hand it to him for the climax. Leftovers. This works probably better than 99% of the time. It is worth the risk to me for the miracle which results when it runs smoothly. A few dozen practice tries will help you to build the confidence necessary to bring it to a successful conclusion. This is a contingency trick which means that different events during the trick change subsequent events in the trick. That is, if there card is one of the top five, you handle it differently than if you were to find there card was one of the bottom five. Another example is the ending where you will either have placed their selection on the table or use the tabled card to locate the selection. In a contingency trick, it is important that you always proceed with the next step as if it was what you had intended to do all along. If you pause to work out which contingency action you are to take next, you will telegraph your uncertainty to the spectator. Practice this over and over until you feel comfortable with all possible outcomes. It is very simple to perform and only uses a simple overhand shuffle to deliver a miracle. Background. This is a considerable expansion of Dai Vernon's Out of Sight --- Out of Mind from Lewis Ganson's More Inner Secrets of Card Magic. In Vernon's effect, the selection was from a bank of nine cards. A more complex jog shuffle was used to separate the three distinct groups which ultimately narrowed the selection down to three cards. A three card out was used to reveal the selection. There was a thirty three percent chance that you would end by double lifting to show the selection on top of a pile. I wanted to change the effect in three ways. First, I wanted a much freer selection process than holding up nine cards one at a time for a selection. The 15 card selection bank made possible by the five card out brought this to reality. Second, I wanted a surefire ending which left no doubt that I knew their card while at the same time did not leave me holding a two cards as one. Third, I wanted a presentation which disguised the narrowing down of the three groups. By telling the audience that the selection is invisible, they alert you to where their card is without feeling that they have imparted any information to you at all. In fact, they are more

THE SHUFFLE Steve Beam You will use this shuffle to set up for the effect which follows this one. Openly place four queens into different parts of the deck and control them to the top using a multiple shift. Take the deck in the left hand, ready for an overhand shuffle. Undercut the lower half with the right hand. Outjog the top card with the left thumb. Shuffle off the right hand's half onto the left. Undercut beneath the outjog, run one card, injog the next, and throw the remainder on top. Reposition the pack in the left hand in dealing position, hiding the injogged card. The position of the queens is as follows: one on top, one on bottom, two together in the middle with the upper one injogged. This shuffle was originally published in my Magic The vanishing Art... book in 1978. A one shuffle method by Bill Ryder was later published in The Trapdoor.

QUEEN CHARLIER Steve Beam Effect. A stunning cutting of the queens performed in the hands without a table. The Work. Use The Shuffle to control four queens to the following locations: One on top, one on bottom, two in the middle with the upper one injogged. The deck is held in the left hand in dealing position. Pick up a fourth fmger break beneath the injog. Secretly insert your left third finger into the break. Clamp down on the top of the pack with your left second finger. See figure 1. Now lift up with your third finger while pushing down with your second finger. This will cause the upper half of the packet to twirl into the palm up right hand as shown in figure 2. Using your favorite one hand method, flip the top cards

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of each half face up back onto their respective halves. 1use an action similar to the one just explain to split the two halves. 1 insert the third fingers of each hand underneath the top cards. Pushing down with the second fingers and up with the third fingers causes the top cards to flip over and around the second fmgers and fall face up on top. See figures 3 and 4. Reposition both halves in readiness for the Charlier one hand cut as shown in figure S. That is, use the thumbs to lift up on the inner long edge of each packet. Allow both thumbs to drop half of the cards they are holding into the palms as in the standard one hand cut. Use the forefingers to lift the dropped halves up to the thumbs. See figure 6. When the forefingers lift the dropped packets up to where they meet the thumbs, move the thumbs and use the forefingers to kick the packets up and over as shown in figure 7. The finished revelation is shown in figure 8. Background. This was originally published in my Magk The Vanishing Art book in 1978.

you may end the effect here with your fmgers wailing around trying to grip the pack.) See figure 2 for the current position. As your right hand brings the card over to the pack, curl your right fingers in so that the card goes into the Tenkai palm. As the card is taken into the palm, your forefinger is free to move around. Take the top card of the lower half of the pack and pull it forward. Figure 3 shows this position from above. Pull this card out forward so that it is outjogged about half its length. Rest your right arm as you focus on the cards in the left hand. Release your left thumb's grip on the top half of the pack. To everyone's satisfaction, the card you originally showed to them is now outjogged in the pack. SQuareUp. Bring your right hand over the top of the pack and extend your right fingers. Use them to pull the outjogged card in about half of the length the card is outjogged. As your fingers contact this card, this puts the palmed card directly over the top of the pack. See figure 4 strategically placed immediately above this sentence. Release the palmed card

TENKAI CHARLIE Steve Beam This versatile move is easy to learn if you don't have small hands. 1 will describe the move as an ambitious card move. Afterwards 1 will show you a quick flourish using the move. If 12:00 is straight ahead, turn to face 10:00. (I don't know if this makes any difference, but I'm currently standing in eastern standard time and we are under daylight savings time.) Hold the pack in the left hand in dealing position. Lift off the top card and hold it as shown in figure 1 between the right thumb and first two fingers. Snap this card against the pack or other solid object which communicates its singularity. Open the pack with your left thumb by lifting the top half of the pack up at the far right corner. The pack opens up book style, hinging on the left long edge. (If you have small hands,

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Figure 1 Figure 4

where it will come to rest on top of the pack. From hereon it's allacting. Relaxyourrightarm to show thecardstilloutjogged. Bringyourrighthandbackoverto the pack and pull the jogged card closer to the pack. Pause to displaytheresults. On the thirdor fourth squaringaction,pull thecardflushwiththerestof thepack. Snapthetopof thepack and turn the top card over, revealing the ambitiouscard back on top. Background. This was originally published in issue#22 ofTbe Trapdoor. I cameupwiththeabovemoveafter seeing Bill Wisch perform his control. Rick Johnsson published a similarmove in Practical Impossibilities. Don Morrisand I wereat Rick's houseinAsheville beforehe publishedhis book and I showedhim my move. Hejumped up out of his seat and said, "That's my move!" I repeated it with him handing me the card first and fooled him. His started with a double. Figure 2

OUTON A LIMB Steve Beam This is a very visual flourish which can be performed close-up or on a platform. While the angles may appear difficulttocover,Icanassureyouthatit meetsmostperforming situations. Besides, the misdirection is so strong that you wouldalmost haveto perform it backwards for theaudienceto see what's happening. This is basedonT'enkai Charlie. Readthe instructions for the moveup untilit is timefor the square-up. Afterpretending to placethe ambitious card in the middleof thepack,allow the upperhalf to drop onto the balanceof the pack. The apparent ambitious card remains outjogged for half its length. You are now going to quicklyreposition the pack in the left hand. Curl yourfmgers and thumbinon the packas shown in figure 1. Extend the fingers and thumbas shown in figure

Figure 3

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immediately below the right elbow . Now, as you quickly square the upjogged card against the right elbow, use your right thumb to pop the palmed card into view. Background. My first experience with this typeofflourish was in Howard Thurston's 50 Modern Card Tricks. I used that method with the backpalm for years. Recently Dr. Sawa of Japan controlled a chosen card into the desired position using an under the spread control directly into the backpalm.

Figure 4 2. Now curl your left thumb over the right long edge of the pack as your curl in your left fingers underneath. See figure 3. You have repositioned the pack in a deep glide position. Note that the repositioning action described in this paragraph takes about a second. Bring your left hand over to your right hand which is aimed down and forward at a forty-five degree angle from the floor. Figure 4 shows your view at this point. Push the jogged card in against your right forearm. Simultaneously, use your right thumb to flip the palmed card into view at the right fingertips. This gives the effect that the card that is squared into the pack is the same card that immediately appears at your right fingertips. Alternate Handling. You will reposition the deck in a different manner for this production. Use your left thumb to flip the pack up as you lift your hand up so that the palm faces to the right. See figure 4. Lift the right hand to a vertical posi tion as shown in figure 5. Figure 6 shows the left hand positioning the pack

Figure 6

LIMB LEAD-IN Steve BeclJn I like visual magic which can be performed close-up. This item fits that description but can also be performed platform. It is the perfect lead-in to Out on a Limb.It is far easier to leam than it would appear after reading it or watching it. For the last fifteen years I have demonstrated several variations of the rub away card vanish from Expert Card Technique. One of the variations has been to do the move face up. Another is to do it on your right leg. By combining the two, you get a very visual vanish and reappearance of the card. Tum the card to be used face up on top of the pack. Hold the deck in your left hand in dealing position. Lift your right leg up slightly. Bring your left hand over to the middle of the top of your thigh. Thumb the top card over to the right. Bring your right hand down immediately above the face up card. Now you are going todo two things simultaneously. As your left thumb pulls the top card back flush with the pack, it also does a wrist tum to keep the top card from being visible to the audience. The left hand comes to rest at your left side with the hand tumedjust enough to keep the card from being visible. Massage the imaginery card on your right thigh. When ready for the magic to occur, again you will do two things simultaneously.

Figure 5 7

As your right hand mashes flat on your leg and you extend your right fingers showing the card has disappeared, your left hand rotates the top of the deck toward the audience. This is too much for the mind to follow. They see you rubbing the card on your leg. A moment later both hands make a simultaneous gesture and the card is face up on the pack in the left hand.

PRAYER PRODUCTION Don Morris This is a quick production of a selected card. If you lose a card and need an out, this is a natural. Control the selection to the top of the pack. Produce any face down card from the pack in a quick and flashy way without changing the top card of the pack. While the attention is on the newly produced card, palm the top card of the pack in your right hand. Table the pack with your right hand as your left hand reaches over to tum over the visible card. Feign disappointment Pause for the effect to sink in. You have fouled up. Tum slightly to your left and bring your two hands together in prayer position as shown in figure 1. "Sometimes I need a little help." You will notice that your left hand is fairly well hidden from the audience's view. Under cover of your right thumb, move your left thumb over to a position where it can engage the top comer of the palmed card. Separate your hands slightly so that only your fingertips touch and the card is held between the fourth fingers of each hand. Push down on the top edge of the card at the near comer as shown in figure 2. The card will pivot out as shown in figure 3. By the time it comes to rest, it will have turned almost 180 degrees. This is a very visual and funny production. Ask for the name of the card. They name their selection. Snap it over dramatically. "A little help from above never hurts."

Figure 2 For use as an out, assume you have completely lost the selection. Place any card (or your best guess) face down on the table. Ask for the name of a card. Spread quickly through the pack looking for the card. When you come to it, cull it out the back of the spread and control it to the back of the pack. Close the spread as if you haven't seen the selection. Point to the tabled card. "Well. that must be it. Would you turn it over?" As they tum the tabled indifferent card face up, you have all the misdirection you need to palm the top card (the selection). Finish as above with the prayer production.

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Published by Trapdoor Productions 407 Carrington Drive Knightdale, NC 27545

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Also, Scott Robinson suggested spreading the pack in a circular manner rather than in the standard straight line. By bringing the top and bottom cards together, youlose the disguise the relative positions of the "top" and "bottom" of the pack. This is because a circle has no beginning or end: This way it is not obvious that the top of the pack is not an ace or a king. Background. This was originally published in Issue #41 et The Trapdoor (1992). Subsequently, it appeared on Volume II of Michael Ammar's video, Easy To Master Card Miracles (1994).

OPENING STAB Steve Beam Effect. A deck is removed from its case. It is not shuffled. Instead, an envelope is removed from the magician's pocket. The envelope is labeled "PREDICTION." The magician asks that the envelope be placed somewhere in the middle of the pack. The magician takes the pack and spreads it face up on the table. It is in perfect order, except that one card is missing. Strangely, it is missing from the same place where the envelope is located. The magician asks that the envelope be removed by a spectator and opened and the prediction read. When the contents of the envelope are removed, it is seen to be the missing card. The Work. Take any card from a deck which is in new deck order. Place it inside a bank envelope - one as close in size to a playing card as you can find. The envelope must be opaque. On the back of the envelope, write the word "Prediction." Place the envelope in your breast pocket with the writing toward you. Arrange the rest of the deck in ace to king order, suits in "CHaSeD" order. Cut the pack at the missing card. That is, to restore the pack to its proper sequence, the card in the envelope would have to be placed on top or bottom of the pack. To perform, introduce the pack. Place it face down on the table. Bring out the envelope, keeping the writing from the audience. Ask that the envelope be "stabbed" into the middle of the pack. Square the pack. Pick up the cards and spread from left to right. "Did you notice the writing on the envelope?" As you say this, execute my handling of the Prophecy Move. (This is explained in both volumes of my Semi-Automatic Card Tricks, my Magic With No Entertainment Valuenotes. The original move, which can also be used , is explained in Bill Simon's Effective Card Magic.) This turns the envelope over so that the writing is visible. It also places their card in sequence. It also cuts the pack so that this sequence is in the middle of the deck. (Do you see why Hike this move so much?) They can now read the word "prediction." Square the pack. Stress the fact that they had a free choice where to place the envelope. They could have placed it deep or shallow in the pack. However, they placed it in one position out of 52. "Was there any reason/or choosing that location over the other 52 possible locations?" Spread the deck face up on the table in a wide spread. The place where the card is missing from the sequence is filled with the envelope. Make a big deal about it. They were able to locate the position where the card was missing. "pen the prediction and read it out loud." They do, and they remove the chosen card. Leftovers. I refer to "reading the prediction" so I don't telegraph the climax. One does not normally "read" a playing card. I also refer to the double effect so they appreciate that two things have happened. One, they mysteriously found the location of the missing card. Secondly, I predicted it.

Pleasant Under Glass Steve Beam Effect. A glass is inverted on the close-up mat. A coin is taken in the left hand and pressed into the bottom of the (top of the inverted) glass. The coin instantly appears inside the upside down glass. The Work. Practice is the only thing that will make this work. It depends on your aim with the Jennings-Gertner Kick Move. It doesn't have to be perfect, but it does have to be fairly accurate. I use a glass that has straight sides 2.5 inches long (an inch is 2.5 centimeters) and the mouth has a diameter of 1.5 inches. You must have a close-up mat. Display the half dollar in your right hand as you invert the glass directly in the center of the mat. Pretend to transfer the coin to your left hand, retaining it in your right. Allow the right hand to drop palm-down to the mat, about an inch behind the glass. Release the coin so that it falls silently onto the mal. In the same continuous motion move your hand slightly back to the right, positioning the thumb for the kick move. During theabove process, all emphasis ison the imaginary coin at your left fmgertips. Bring the left fingers down on to the front edge of the inverted glass and push down slightly. This causes the glass to tilt forward. At this moment, there is enough space between the rim of the glass at the rear and the table to launch the coin through. Execute the kick move, aiming for the glass. See figure 1. The coin should propel directly into the glass and stop when it hits the front rim. Separate both hands to show your hands empty and proceed with the rest of your one-coin routine.

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The Power Link Stephen Kradolfer ~. Two rubber bands link and unlink. Trust me. This is worth your while. The Work. Start with the left band around the first three fmgers and the thumb of the left hand. The right band is around the four fingers of the right hand. See figure 1. Use yourleft fourth finger to hookthe rightbandand pull it to the left as shown in figure 2. Bring your right forefinger and thumb down on the left band on either side ofthe piece of the right band which is being stretched out by the left pinky. Pushdownon thisstrandwhichstraddlesthe two strandsof the right band. See figure 3. Push the left band down far enough to pinch the two strands of the right band between the right thumb, right forefinger, and stretched left band as shown in figure 4. The Link. Pull upward on the pinched bands creating tensionamong the bands. When you are ready for the link to occur,release the lowerstrandof the right band. It will spring out of the pinch with a snap, providing you with a visual and audible link. Note that the right and left bands will remain pinchedbetweenthe right thumband forefingerin this manner for the duration. The position is shown in figure S. The Display. Slow down now to followwhat is about to happen. You are still pinching the left band with the right thumb and forefinger, The area where the strands of the left bandare pinchedforma "V" shape. The rightband bisects the "V" as it is also pinched between the right thumb and forefinger, Before proceeding, place your right second finger over above the left bandon the spectator's side of the pinched"V". Now,bringyourrightsecond,third,and fourthfingerstogether as a unit up through the gap on your side of the "V" as shown in figure 6. This is the space between the part of the left band nearest you and the right band which bisects it (still being pinched by therighthand). The left thumbis holding this loop open for this reason. Figure 6 shows the right second finger catching the left band before it joins the right third and fourth fmgers in curling toward the palm. As the right fingercurl in to the right palm, the left pinky extends far to the left. See figure 7. This action pulls the right band off the back of the right hand. Even after the band slips off the right fingers, it is still pinched by the right thumb and forefinger. As soon as this occurs, slip your left pinkyout of the right band and slip your left firstand secondfingerout of the left band. This leavesyou in the position shown in figure 8. After bouncingthe bandaround to show that it is linked, add this display which I pinched from one of the Harlan routines. Stick your left forefingerinto the strand of the right band which is hangingdown in front of the left band. Stretch this forward as you pull back on the right band with the right thumb and forefinger. See figure 9. Wayne Kyzer and I realized that you can lift up both hands so that the palms are toward the audience at this point. This makes a very clean display even cleaner. It appears that

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there is no possible way the bands could be anywhere other than stretched between the fingers and thumbs. Thisaddsa convincing displayto thelink whileallowing you to slip your leftand right thirdfmgers out of the left band. As soon as they slipout, theycome to reston topof the fourth fingers. Theleft bandis nowapparently stretched between the fourth fmgers. Whenyouremoveyourleftforefinger from the rightloop,there isnowanevenmoreconvincing display. This is becausethepart of the rightbandyouare holding seemsfar awayfromtheleftbandwhichisstretched between thepinkies. See figure 10. Rotateyourpalm -uplefthandsothattheleftfirst,second, and third fmgers and left thumbcan come up through the left band and join the left pinky. Open the fingers forming a triangle between the left thumb,left first finger, and leftsecondfmger. Noticehowthe left second finger comes over to rest against the right pinky. This is because the left band shouldnot be "attached"to the right hand in any manner. Actually, it is secretly pinchedin the right hand. The triangular condition of the rubber band covers it. See figure 11. You are now preparedfor the unlink. Allow your right secondand third fmgers to slide slightly out of the loop they are holdingin theircurledposition. Thiskeepsthebandsfrom catchingon the fingers during the unlink. Now pull the right band only, forward and to the right between the right thumb and forefinger. Allow the left band to slip completely off the right secondand third fmgers as the right hand goes forward. Extend both forefingers and rotate both hands palm 11

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Figure 11 down. As you do, releaseall other grips on the bands with the other fingers. The two bands will hang from their respective forefingers. This is a very clean,convincing,killer of a finish. Background. This was originally publishedin issue #33 c:i The Trapdoor. Stephen Kradolfer, the originator, is a sharp and clever Boston magicianwith a mind for developing great material.

Figure 2

This is Scott's ending for Jerry Andrus's "The Andrus Bands," the latter being published in issue #33 of The Trapdoor. The first three illustrations explain the optical illusion which makes one band look like two. It is similar to Derek Dingle's Elastic Illusion from The Chronicles. Basically, placea rubber band on your left forefinger. Turn it a half turn and place the other end on your left thumb. It now forms a figure 8. Place your right forefmger into the same loop your left forefingeroccupies. Place your right thumb into the same loopyourleftthumboccupies. Yourrightthumband forefinger pinch the middle of the figure 8 together. Your position is shown in figure 1. Pull back with the right hand and forward with your left. Close your left thumb and forefinger together about three inchesin front of your right thumband forefinger. AS soon as your left thumband first finger are together,split your right thumband forefingerapart. As soon as they are far apart, bring your pinched left thumb and forefmger back toward you through the thumb and forefinger. Allow your right thumb and forefmger to circle the left appendages. This is shown in figure 2. Repeat this several times in a row and you willcreate the

Figure 3

Figure 4 12

Silver Sequence Steve Beam

Figure 5

This is a pretty vanish and reproduction of a coin. The Work. Hold the left hand in a loose fist. Pick up a half dollar in your right hand and place it into the opening of the left fist as shown in figure 1. If you'll raise your left ring finger, you can place the coin directly into the Tenkai Penny Grip (aka, the Goshman Pinch) as shown infigure 2. Separate your hands and snap your right fingers for the magic to happen. Pivot your left hand palm up. As it pivots palm up, your

Figure 1 illusion that you are holding two bands. Figure 3 shows the movement of the band from the sides without the hands. At the point when the fulcrum of the "V" is at the left thumb and forefinger (both finger and thumb are touching) the right forefinger's band is hooked onto the left pinky as shown in figure 4. The other section of the band which is held by the right thumb is now grasped between the thumb and the newly idle right forefinger. This section is pulled upward until it is directly over the other section of the band as shown in figure 5. The right hand now covers this section of the band as if grasping it to remove it from the left hand's grip. As soon as the upper loop of band is covered, release your grip on the band with your right thumb and forefinger. You will also release the pinching action between your left thumb and forefinger. The band will shoot downward and will slide freely between the left thumb and forefinger. The band will contract to its natural tension in an instant. The right hand proceeds away from the left hand as if it holds the one of the band(s). The left hand with the remaining band engaged around the first and fourth fingers makes a magical gesture over the right hand which is then shown empty. See figure 6. Background. Scott is a creative magician from Charlotte, NC. He is one of the frequent contributors to and proofreaders of The Trapdoor. The above effect was originally published in issue #37 of The Trapdoor.

Figure 2

Figure 3 13

Figure 4

Figure 8

Figure 5

Figure 9

Fi ure 6

n

Figure 7

Figure 11 14

ure 10

MIDDLE GAUGE SPREAD Steve Beam

Figure 12 palm down right hand strokes it back toward the left wrist as shown in figure 3. Now your right hand turns palm up immediately above the left wrist and brushes back across the left hand (both palm-up) as shown in figure 4. Now your right hand moves underneath your left, stealing the coin between the base ofthe left first and second finger. See figure S for the audience's view. As soon as your right hand has possession of the coin, rotate both hands palm down. In the same action, draw the right hand back across the left as shown in figure 6. Rotate your left hand palm up and brush your right hand down from the left wrist to the fingertips as shown in figure 7. Bring both hands together, with the right in front of the left as shown in figure 8. Steal the coin between the base of the left first and second finger at the back of the hand as you raise your hands to the position shown in figure 9. Rotate your hands back down to the position shown in figure 8. Steal the coin back between the base of the first to fingers of the right hand at the front. Now raise your hands to the position shown in figure 10. Finish by lowering your hands to figure 8 again, where you can clip the coin between the fingertips of the first two fingers of the left hand as shown in figure 11. Slide the coin out under cover of the right fingers until it is hidden behind the right fingertips. Blow on your fingertips and push the coin into view as shown in figure 12 for the climax. Background. This was originally published in Steve Beam on Coins, Volume II (1982).

This is an interesting effect in that two spectators find a selection of a third spectator. Although they were familiar with the principle, this has fooled some very well informed card men. Effect. The magician introduces a deck of card and has a card selected by the person standing or sitting directly in front of him. The card is replaced and lost in the deck. The deck is ribbon spread face down on the table. The magician then asks a person to the (magician's) right of the first spectator to touch a card on his side of the spread. He is to slide that card half way out of the spread toward him (outjogged). He then asks a person on the other side (magician's left) to slide a card halfway out of his side of the spread just as the preceding spectator did. These two cards are turned face up and inserted back into the spread at the same positions from which they were removed. Addressing the first spectator, "Is either of these your selection? No? Well, let me see if I can't salvage my career before it is completely destroyed. There must have been some reason why you two chose those two cards." The magician instructs each person to count from their card toward the other person's face up card. They are to stop counting when they reach the value of their face up card. In other words, if the person on the magician's right turned over a six, he is to start counting cards toward the center of the spread until he reaches the sixth card from the six. If the guy on the left turned over a four, he would count toward the center of the spread until he lands on the fourth card from the four. Here is where the first coincidenceoccurs. Both spectators had a free choice of the cards in the spread. When they counted from these cards toward the center, they both ended up on the same card. The spectator who selected the card is asked to reveal its identity. At this, the magician turns over the card the other spectators have counted to. It is the selection. The Work. It takes just a minute to set this up It involves a quick set up of values, the suits don't matter. The top thirteen cards of the deck are in ace to king order from the top. The bottom thirteen cards of the deck are in ace to king order from the face. It is easy to remember when you start that you should have an ace on the top and on the bottom. Spread the deck in your hands for a spectator to make a selection. Choose someone in the middle of your audience (as opposed to the left or right). Allow him to choose any of the middle twenty six cards to avoid your stacks. Square the deck and hold it in the right hand from above. When he is ready to replace his card, use the right forefinger to swivel cut the top half of the pack into the palm up left hand. You should cut the deck as near to the center of the pack as possible. This is important later. Have him place his card on top of the left half. Drop the right half on top and square the deck. Now ribbon spread the cards on the table from left to right in a half moonas shown in figure 1. You want to spread only the middle twenty-six cards, your stack. The top and bottom thirteen cards are spread but not very well. They are much 15

more closely grouped than the middle twenty-six. This is to force the next two spectators to remove a card from your stack. Status Report. The deck is spread on the table. From the left to right, bottom to top, the cards are in the following order. approximately 13 indifferent cards, king through ace in numerical order, the selection, ace through king in numerical order, approximately 13 indifferent cards. Gesture to a person on your right. Ask him to remove a card "from your side of the spread." Use your hands to indicate the cards on the right side of the spread. Have him slide the card out, turn it face up, and slide it back in to the same position. Repeat this process with a spectator to your left, having him slide a card halfway out of the left side of the spread and turn it face up. There are two cards face up in the spread. Because of the uneven way in which you spread the cards on the table, the odds are great that both of the face up cards are from your stock. For now we will assume that this is what has happened. In a moment, I will explain what to do in case one or both of the spectators selected a card outside your stock. Instruct each of the spectators to start with the cards next to the face up cards and count toward the center of the pack. They will both end their count on the same card. "Theremust

be a reasonyou both landedon the same card. Hopefully that reasonis that you are aboutto bringthis effect to a successful conclusion." Ask the spectator who chose the card for its identity. Turn the card face up to reveal it. While you should seldom have to use it, there is an automatic out built into this trick. If either or both of the later two volunteers choose a card from outside your stock, they will have to count twice. Assume the spectator on the right selects a card near the top of the pack, above your stock. If it is a five, have him count five cards toward the center. The next card he lands on will probably be in your stock. If not, have him count again. Background. This was originally published on page 126 of issue #8 of The Trapdoor (1984). While the principle is old, the closest thing I could find to the above use is the uncredited TheDivining Deck from the Encyclopedia of Card ~. It uses a single descending run from ten to ace over the selection which was controlled to a position eleventh from the top of the pack. A spectator is asked to touch one of the top ten cards. The value of this card then tells the magician how many cards to deal down to in order to locate the selection. The version explained above has two effects. The first is the coincidence of landing on the same card at the conclusion of the count. The second is the fact that that card is the selection. This is the simplest "killer" I can think of. In fact, despite its simplicity, the trick is so strong that I once traded its secret to a top cardman for the opportunity to publish my favorite trick of his in The Trapdoor.

II}' 5;TEl'E IIE·UI

Semi-Automatic Card Tricks (Volume 1) 170 pages of top quality card effects ergonomically designed for maximum impact. These routines are self-working without appearing to be. Humorous patter accompanies many of the effects. Semi-Automatic Card Tricks (Volume 2) 232 pages and 69 effects. These are solid items to feature in your close-up shows. Multiple Impact - The ultimate card location complete with presentation. Spectators remove and replace their own selections, shuffle, and cut the pack. The magician finds all the cards in a hilarious fashion. A professional card routine suitable for platform presentation. Super Stack - The One Second Poker Stack The best and the fastest poker stack. Completely updated and revised since its original publication in 1983. 20 pages explain everything including how to take a borrowed and shuffled pack and stack any four of a kind to any number of hands using an overhand, tabled riffle, or dovetail shuffle $10.00 The Changing of The Cards - An entire book on colorchanges. Like the tricks in this lecture insert, visual tricks get attention quickly. Here are 39 pages full of visually stunning color changes. Upside Down - A comedy prop by Steve Beam with routines and ideas by Bev Bergeron, Dan Garrett, Dexter Cleveland, Wayne Kyzer, and Sid Lorraine. The Trapdoor - The most original magic magazine since the original magic magazine. Four times annually you receive the best in magic, the funniest satire, and the most enjoyable pleas for subscription renewals in magic. Now in its twelfth year.

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