HARRY LORAYNE
It's been over 25 years since I prepared "lecture notes." I haven't bothered with "notes" because most of the things I come up with, and that I do at my lectures, are in one or another of my books. Also, I never have had a planned, or formal, lecture. I never really know, except for a few definite items, just which direction I'll be taking off on during a lecture. You've probably already noticed that. Recently, however, I've been doing more magic lectures than usual. At each one I've been asked if I had lecture notes to sell. Some seemed disappointed that I hadn't. Perhaps they already had all my books, subscribed to APOCALYPSE, etc. Well, all right; I've succumbed. What you're reading now is (are?) the first lecture notes I've prepared in over 25 years. That's not to say that they're better (or worse) than anyone else's lecture notes - I'm simply stating a fact. Actually, "lecture notes" is a misnomer. I honestly don't know if I even touched on any of the items included here during the lecture you attended. That's why each item is complete; each item stands alone. You'll be able to learn and perform each one whether or not I discussed it during my lecture. I'm sure I will have touched on, demonstrated, some of the items - at least, the things I think you'd want to see performed before trying to learn them. I know that I most always demonstrate my Magician Vs Gambler. That's because I'm always asked to do so. And, that's the only one of my routines that appear here that I've already had in print. The reason for that is mentioned at the beginning of that item. I can't honestly promise you that the other items won't appear in print. I may eventually decide to include some, or all, of them in a book or in APOCALYPSE. I can only tell you that at the time of this writing they have not been in print. In any case, work on them; give them the practice they deserve, and I'm sure you'll agree that you've received more than your money's worth.
Copyright 1980 by Harry Lorayne, Inc. It is illegal to reproduce or copy in any way the whole, or part or portions, of these notes without specific written permission from Harry Lorayne.
P9-1
Four-Ace Opener The four aces are on top of the deck. Jog shuffle, keeping them there, as you start to talk. "I've been told that there are only two men in the world who can take any deck, shuffle it, and without looking, cull out (locate) any four of a kind. I stress 'without looking1 because you see, if I shuffle like this looking at the deck, I can see the faces as the cards riffle by and, after years of practice, I can stop at the ." Here, you start an in-hands riffle shuffle; stop near center (See Fig. 1 ) , name that card and show it - as I explained during the lecture. "Do you see? The line of vision is such that I can see the cards as I shuffle and, with practice, I can stop at any card, like the ." Do the riffle-shuffle thing once more. (This second time is optional; you can do it only once.) "But these two men do it without looking. I understand that they're both in their 80's, so it's conceivable that they've been practicing for sixty years! I've only been practicing for six weeks, but I'd like to try it anyway. As you can see, I'm shuffling the cards. (You are, jog shuffling; keeping the aces on top.) And, I'm looking directly at you, not the cards. If I wanted to get, oh say - the four aces out of this shuffled deck, I might do something like this... to get one ace." Do the standard air pressure drop-push to the table, causing the top card to turn over. (I explained this at length in Double Quinella; CLOSE-UP CARD MAGIC.) Leave that ace, face up, on the table and pick up the deck. Jog shuffle as you talk, "If I want to get really dramatic, I could do this...of course, it has to be another ace." For this second ace I do the Lorayne Card Spin, as explained during the lecture and as explained in detail in REPUTATION-MAKERS. (Figs. 2, 3, and 4 show the grip, the preparation of the top card, and the position just prior to the thumb straightening and spinning off that card - because of the long thumbnail.) Of course, you can do any revelation of this ace - if you can't do my card spin. Leave this ace with the first one and overhand shuffle some more. Run three cards onto the top, injog the next one, form a break at the injog, shuffle to the break and throw on