Harry Lorayne’s
Special Effects
Books by Harry Lorayne Close-Up Card Magic • Personal Secrets • My Favorite Card Tricks Deck-Sterity • Best of Bill-Fooled The Hundred Dollar Book • Dingle’s Deceptions Reputation-Makers • The Great Divide • Tarbell #7 Rim Shots • Afterthoughts • The Epitome Location The Magic Book • Finger Fantasies • Card Animations The Card Classics of Ken Krenzel • Quantum Leaps Best of Friends, Volume I • Best of Friends, Volume II • Best of Friends, Volume III Star Quality • Trend Setters • Doug Edwards Packs A Wallop The Himber Wallet Book • Personal Collection Lorayne: The Classic Collection Volume 1 • Mathematical Wizardry Lorayne: The Classic Collection Volume 2 Lorayne: The Classic Collection Volume 3 Harry Lorayne’s Special Effects How To Develop A Super-Power Memory Secrets of Mind Power • Instant Mind Power Miracle Math • Memory Isometrics Course Mental Magnetism Course • Good Memory— Good Student! Good Memory—Successful Student! • The Memory Book Remembering People (The Key to Success) The Page-A-Minute Memory Book • Memory Makes Money Super Memory—Super Student • Ageless Memory The MEMORY POWER Package (sold on national television) Monthly magic magazine: Apocalypse, Bound Volumes I through IV Videos by Harry Lorayne “Best Ever” four-volume DVD set
Harry Lorayne’s
Special Effects Harry Lorayne Photographs by Robin Chantawan Design & Composition by Andrew J. Pinard
Harry Lorayne, Inc. 62 Jane Street New York, NY 10014 U.S.A. harryloraynemagic.com harrylorayne@earthlink.net
Copyright Š 2011 by Harry Lorayne, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means, which are now known or to be invented, without the written permission of the author.
Dedicated to all lovers of card magic and To my wife, RenĂŠe and my son, Robert.
Contents Foreword................................................................................................................xiii Section I Double Cut.............................................................................................................. 3 What Are The Odds? (A Tantalizer Treatise).................................................... 4 (Odd Back) And Forth......................................................................................... 13 Choices!.................................................................................................................. 16 6-Card Reverse Faro Ending, Plus...................................................................... 20 About Face............................................................................................................. 26 About Face—And Collect!.................................................................................. 30 To Catch A Royal.................................................................................................. 34 Collect Again......................................................................................................... 39 Two Between......................................................................................................... 41 T(w)o Be Spelled.................................................................................................. 45 Section II Even Better Red/Black Shuffles.......................................................................... 49 Lucky Thirteen..................................................................................................... 53 Instant Double Decker......................................................................................... 56 The Hopless Hop.................................................................................................. 61 Tilted “In Depth”................................................................................................. 65 Two-Color Memory Test..................................................................................... 69 “Simply” Effective................................................................................................. 75 Monte Monte Plus................................................................................................. 77 Fair And Square................................................................................................... 82 Spel-Loc-Ace-Tion................................................................................................ 85 Section III Sandwich Plus Two.............................................................................................. 91 3-4-1........................................................................................................................ 95 Nine To Twelve..................................................................................................... 98 Side To Side......................................................................................................... 107 vii
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Find Four..............................................................................................................111 Three First............................................................................................................114 SCAM...................................................................................................................118 TCAA #5 Handling........................................................................................... 122 SOTM.................................................................................................................. 124 About Counts...................................................................................................... 126 Section IV (Personal Collection Section) A Much Better Chance....................................................................................... 133 AACAAN........................................................................................................... 137 12/21..................................................................................................................... 139 Magic Jacks...........................................................................................................141 Counted Out........................................................................................................ 144 Triple Take...........................................................................................................147 An Open Prediction............................................................................................149 Your Favorite Card............................................................................................. 153 Double Angle...................................................................................................... 154 Section V Royalt(ra)y........................................................................................................... 159 Universal Triumph..............................................................................................165 Don’t Blink...........................................................................................................169 Royal Impossibility...............................................................................................141 A Royal Force.......................................................................................................174 Sandwich Ramblings.......................................................................................... 175 Psychic Spell.........................................................................................................181 All For(ce) One................................................................................................... 183 Devilish Switch.....................................................................................................185 Lead On!............................................................................................................. 189 Switch!................................................................................................................. 194 The HaLo Cut.................................................................................................... 198 Last Word............................................................................................................. 201
Foreword Yeah, yeah, I know, I’ve said it after my last Lord-knows-how-many books— “This will be my last book on card magic.” Well, this really may be my last book on card magic. Age plus “no more” effects/routines to write about have something do with that. But, who knows? This book contains many effects, routines, ideas that I’ve kept to myself for years (I didn’t want anyone else doing them) and other effects, routines and ideas that I’ve come up with and haven’t until now had the opportunity to publish. The book evolved because I wanted to put out just a manuscript of What Are The Odds?—the first item in this book. Although it is the longest item in this book, I didn’t think it was enough for a manuscript, so I decided to add one more effect or routine. And that didn’t seem like enough, so I added another—and then another—and I thought, “Oh, the heck with it; might as well include all the others (see the paragraph above this one) and make it a “book.” You probably know that I don’t do or teach highly technical, difficult, stuff (‘cause I don’t use, nor can I do, highly technical, difficult, stuff!). I do have to assume that you can do the basic card things—overhand jog shuffle, slip shuffle, double cut, double lift/turnover, Hindu Shuffle, Center Hindu Shuffle, and so on. I do teach a few of my own concoctions where I felt it important to do so and because I know you can use the ideas for many other things (The Spread Control, The Lorayne Force, among others). I talk about each of those more than once. I even use an occasional photo more than once. That’s because I know how annoying and train-of-thought distracting it can be to have to flip pages back (or forward) in search of the “originals.” There are times when I don’t want to lose your attention even for seconds. In the review of a book to which I contributed a couple of items the reviewer (A. E. Smith) wrote: “. . . and there’s an idea of Harry Lorayne’s, which is very good, as we might expect, but the real bonuses are descriptions of The Lorayne Spread Control and The Lorayne Force. Hardly new moves, but it’s surprising (or perhaps not) how many people aren’t familiar with them. Even folks with Harry’s books on their shelves. I’ve seen Ricky Jay use The Spread Control in the long ago (likely he still uses it) and according to Mr. Lorayne (in APOCALYPSE) the move fooled John Scarne.” (Yes, it fooled him a number of times.) ix
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Well, about half a dozen items in this book utilize The Lorayne Force. It’s one heck of a utility move. But, even if you don’t use it, there’s plenty more here to give you much more than your money’s worth. I also realized, as I proofread, that I mentioned my HaLo Cut a few times, but never really taught it “all the way.” I have, of course, taught it in a number of my earlier books so you may already know and use it as many all over the world do. But, I decided, after some consideration, that it’d make this book more “complete” if I did teach it. I didn’t want to alter or affect the pagination and the consecutive figure numbers of what I’d already written, so I placed those couple of “HaLo Cut” pages at the very end of the book, in front of my Last Word. So it’s up to you, of course, but now, in the three or five instances where I mention that The HaLo Cut fits (I also give alternative handlings), you can learn it here, now, if you don’t already know, use, and love it. The first three or four routines may take a bit of thinking and “attention” on your part. As I say at one point, “Wait until you have the time, keep your wits about you, take a deep breath, and plunge in.” I’m mentioning it here because I want you to know that a) they sure are worth your complete attention and b) that all gets easier after those few. I just wanted to “grasp” your attention! In a couple of instances I’ve gone into a bit of a “tirade” giving you quite a few choices as to how to use, apply, a certain idea—the first item of the book is the best example. There’s also Sandwich Ramblings and Nine To Twelve. I strongly suggest that you read those items all the way through before you decide which way to go. If you don’t, you may miss something that’s “right up your alley.” As usual, all the stuff in this book has been audience tested and in just about every case, audience preferred. You may just find lots of things here to keep you busy (and happy) for some time. So—go thou and enjoy the “special effects”! Harry Lorayne
Harry Lorayne’s
Special Effects
Section I Double Cut
WHAT ARE THE ODDS? (A Tantalizer Treatise) (ODD BACK) AND FORTH CHOICES! 6-CARD REVERSE FARO ENDING, PLUS ABOUT FACE ABOUT FACE—AND COLLECT! TO CATCH A ROYAL COLLECT AGAIN TWO BETWEEN T(W)O BE SPELLED DOUBLE CUT: I use the double cut (actually a triple cut) often and I suggest it in this book a number of times. You can, of course, usually use a different action in place of it. If you already know and/or use the double cut you can turn this page now and start on the really good stuff! But for completion’s sake, and very briefly: To double cut a card (or cards) from top of deck to bottom—catch a left little fingertip break under the top card(s) then right hand takes deck from above, right thumb taking over the break. Undercut the bottom half deck to top and then undercut half the cards under your break to top, and then cut all cards up to break to top. I.e., “do” the bottom half up to your break in two undercuts. Done. To double cut a card (or cards) from bottom of deck to top: Get a left little fingertip break above the bottom card(s). Right hand takes deck from above, right thumb taking over break. Right forefinger kick cuts top half deck into left hand, which places that half deck to bottom. Then double cut to top up to your break, as above. Simple card control: Selected card is placed onto left-hand half deck. Right-hand half is placed onto that, holding break. Right hand takes deck from above, right thumb taking over break. Double cut to break to bring selected card to top. Always follow up with a shuffle, keeping card on top—either overhand 3
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jog shuffles, or my Status Quo Shuffle (in Rim Shots section of THE CLASSIC COLLECTION, Volume 2). To bring the selection to bottom of deck simply get your break under it as right-hand half is placed onto it. Double cut, etc. Follow up with a couple of Slip Shuffles to keep it on bottom.
WHAT ARE THE ODDS? (A TANTALIZER TREATISE) I was going to title this Full Cycle; you’ll see why as you approach the end of the article. I’ll be giving you quite a few choices, so it’s important that you read the entire thing. There’s an interesting location of a selected card in The Royal Road To Card Magic called The Tantalizer. I did quite a bit of work with it mainly to take it out of the single-card-location category. I came up with a few routines that I used and performed for years. I kept them to myself because I wanted to continue to fool other magicians with them, and there’s quite a bit of dealing involved, so I felt that you’d have to be a “talker” in order to present them. (I have no problem in that area.) I can, however, cut the dealing in half when and if I want to. I’ll teach that after I teach the full-deck version(s). Two things happened recently that made me change my mind about publishing this “treatise.” I saw the basic one-card-location effect performed and taught on a magic DVD and I was told that some other magicians had also done some work with the idea. I was also told that that work usually involved a memorized deck. Since I don’t use memorized stacks (I never carry my own deck), I’m sure that my ideas won’t be duplicating anything that’s already “out there.” I will be going on for a while here, so wait until you have the time, keep your wits about you, take a deep breath, and plunge in. It will be getting easier as we continue, but you’ll have to “travel” with me from start to finish in order to understand the “easier” ways if, in fact, you’re interested in those “ways.” All right; first I have to be sure that you know and understand the basic idea; and a simple mathematical idea it is. Secretly get a selected card to 22nd from top of a 52-card deck. Deal all the cards alternately to a spectator and to yourself. Then deal your 26 cards the same way, to your spectator and to yourself. Repeat with your 13 cards, then repeat with your six cards, and finally with your three cards. The last card that falls to you will be the 22nd (selected) card. That’s the basic and interesting mathematical principle. But I felt that it needed a “kicker,” at least I personally wanted a kicker, a surprise ending. The
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kicker I devised is the unexpected display of the four aces (or royal flush) after the selected card is “located.” This made it a strong routine for me. Let me set it up for you and then I’ll go into the presentation theme, and more. You have to set the aces at bottom of the deck and then you have to get a selected card to 22nd from top in a quick and secret way, without disturbing your bottom ace setup. That bottom setup, moving from bottom upward is: xaaaxxxa (Fig. 1). The bottom indifferent card is really not part of the necessary setup; it’s there to help set the selected card to position, as you’ll see. Have a card freely selected. Now, you’re going to get that card to 11th from top. You can eye count some cards as you spread for the selection and keep a separation there so that you have fewer cards to spread for the replacement. Or, let the card be selected, then it’s easy enough to spread off 4, 4, 2 cards as you spread for the replacement, or catch a break under those ten cards and just lift them for the replacement. (I always have the spectator show the card to at least one other person. I don’t want to take the chance of him forgetting it.) Go right into a false cut or two, then—“Let’s really lose your card,” and do a straddle faro. I.e., cut a small packet from top—at least, say, 12 cards—and faro them into center of the deck proper. Interlace only about an inch or so (Fig. 2). Then pull out the small packet, taking along the interlaced cards (Fig. 3). Place on top and cascade flush. This is the same as doing an “out” faro but I find it much easier to do the straddle. And, the selected card is now 21st from top. As an end to your “losing” the selected card, double cut the bottom card to top. As I told you, that indifferent bottom card is there only for that reason—to bring the selected (21st) card to 22nd. Of course, if you prefer, you can, after the straddle faro, sidesteal a card from center to top, or take a card from center openly saying, “Your card could
Figure 1
Figure 2
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Figure 3
be anywhere,” etc. Of course, if you do that, you don’t have to set that indifferent card at bottom. Okay . . . Start to deal cards alternately from top of deck, to your spectator (who’s opposite you) and to yourself. You’re going to go through the entire deck that way. Here’s how I get it to make some sense and also make the dealing just a bit shorter/faster. As you start to deal, start talking—“What would be the odds against your card falling to my portion of cards? That’s right, fifty/fifty of course.” Before you get anywhere near the 22nd card, you can deal three at a time to him, and three to yourself, then two and two. You’d better stick to dealing single cards when anywhere near that 22nd card. When you’ve dealt past half the deck, you can again deal 3, 3, 2, 2. Don’t do that when you’re near bottom; you don’t want to do it within your setup. I have to leave this dealing more than one card at a time to you. Use your judgment. “Well sure, it’s fifty/fifty.” Pick up your cards and start dealing again, dealing a new packet to the right of the spectator’s first packet. “But I don’t know what the odds would be now—perhaps seventy-five/twenty-five?” The selected card is 16th from top in your half deck. You don’t need to know that except that you can save a bit of dealing by doing 3 and 3 or 2 and 2 before you get near it. I’d not do any more multiple deals after this. Keep up your patter to “cover” the dealing. Pick up your (13-card) packet and start dealing again, doing a new packet to the right of the spectator’s first two. The last card of your 13-card packet is dealt onto the spectator’s packet. “There’s no way I can figure what the odds would be now—that your card . . .” etc. Pick up your (6-card) packet and deal, creating a fourth packet to the right of the spectator’s first three. Continue your patter about the odds throughout.
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Figure 4
Figure 5
Pick up your 3-card packet. Deal away from the spectator’s 4-packet row. That is, dealing alternately, his two cards go “out of play,” a bit off to the side; you get one card (Fig. 4). Pick up your one card, and say, “Of course, the odds against this being your card are more than astronomical. What, by the way, is your card?” He names it and you turn up the card you’re holding. It’s his card! Let this sink in; it’s strong, but don’t lose attention. “But wait, what do you think the odds are against this?” And do the following: Using both hands simultaneously, turn over his entire 2nd and 4th packets then, without a pause, turn over the top cards of his 1st and 3rd packets to display the four aces! (Fig. 5.)
o Before I talk about cutting the dealing in half I want to tell you how to do almost the same as just taught but ending with a royal flush kicker. There are a few ways to accomplish it, but I use only two of them. I always use the spade royal flush and here’s the first way: Set from face of deck upward—xsssxxxs, which is the same as for the four aces, and then set the fifth high spade to 15th from face. Then do the routine just as taught (don’t forget about cutting that bottom card to top) except that the end is a bit different. When you’re down to your last three cards, deal as you’ve been doing, dealing to the right of the spectator’s first four packets. In other words, you form five packets instead of four in front of the spectator. You’ll be holding the selected card; show it, etc. Then, turn up the five packets as taught—the fifth high spade is the top card of the fifth (2-card) packet.
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Figure 6
Figure 7
That’s one way. Most often, I don’t want to bother with setting that fifth high spade to 15th from face. So here’s the second method I use where that isn’t necessary. What makes it work is a Hindu Shuffle Force, which fits perfectly. (Hindu Shuffle asking your spectator to say “stop.” When he does, show the bottom [force] card of the right-hand portion.) Set from face as follows: sxsssxxxs. Shuffle, keeping that bottom stock in place. I always do a couple of Center Hindu Shuffles because that “sets” the force that’s coming up. Okay; Hindu Shuffle Force the bottom high spade. After your spectator has seen it, lower your right hand and push out the noted card with your left forefinger (Fig. 6). Then place the right-hand portion onto the left portion, catching a break between them. Double cut to the break bringing your setup back to bottom. Now, do the routine exactly as originally taught. Show the selected card, then—“And what are the odds against this?” and display the four high spades that match the selection (Fig. 7).
o Now, if you’re okay with working with the full deck, that’s fine. But if you’re curious as to how to get the same effect with half the deck which, of course, necessitates half the dealing, read on. First I’ll explain the setup and how to go about presenting the effect, then I’ll explain how I do the setup. Use 26 cards; the four aces among them. Set three aces to bottom and the fourth ace to 4th from top. That’s it. Have a card selected and get it to 16th from top.
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Figure 8
Now present the effect as taught (“What’re the odds?” etc.) dealing four separate, in a row, packets to your spectator. The odd card of the second (13card) deal is dealt onto the spectator’s packet, always. When you’re down to your single card, show that it is the selected card. (If you don’t use the ace kicker, no setup at all is needed; you’d end here. So, it’d simply be a way of presenting the original idea with only half the deck/half the dealing.) There’ll be an ace on top of the left-end packet. The other three aces are at bottom of their packets. I display them moving right to left. I flip each packet over to the left with my right hand, like turning the page of a book. Keeping to the rhythm, I use the top card of the left-end packet to “scoop over” that packet (as seen in Fig. 8). That way, it sort of looks the same to the onlookers, not that that much matters. Now here’s how I usually handle it. Do a bit of patter about using only half the deck in order to save a bit of time. As you speak and as you openly remove 26 cards, you can secretly set the aces. But set them like this, from bottom up: axxxaaa. Then you have to get a selected card to only 12th from top. Now again, there are different ways to do that. You can eye count to the 12th card as you patter, hold a break, and riffle force that card. Or, have a card freely selected and as it’s being looked at spread off 4, 4, 3 cards and either hold a break there, or simply have the card replaced there right away. So, the thought-of card is 12th from top. Then, as part of “losing” the card, double cut four cards from bottom to top. And, you’re at required position! (The selected card is 16th from top, and you‘re set up as explained.) Into the routine now, exactly as taught.
o
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Finally, how do you set with half the deck to do the royal flush ending? Easy; you already know how to do it. Set from bottom up: ssxxxsss, and do exactly as already taught. Force the bottom high spade, have it replaced 12th from top of the half deck. Double cut four cards from bottom to top—and go!
o Well, have I given you enough choices? No, not yet. After working out all of the preceding, I realized that some would balk at the idea of placing the selected card to a specific position in the deck. That, of course, is the basis of the original idea, the placing of the card to 22nd from top. Well, there are ways to get the same effect without placing the selection to a specific position—you can keep the card at bottom of the deck. I’ll explain two ways, using the full deck. The aces have to be set two at face, one 8th from face and one 8th from top (aaxxxxxa . . . 8th from top). I usually set all at face, like this: axxxxxxxaaxxxxxa. (The “x”s can sometimes create an optical illusion. It may be easier for you if I use “i”s to represent the indifferent cards. So it’d be aiiiiiiiaaiiiiia.) Then there’s more leeway for shuffling—regular overhand jog shuffles with the face-up deck, without flashing the ace at face, and/or Center Hindu Shuffles with the deck face down. Assuming you’re at that position, have a card selected from center deck. When your spectator is looking at his card casually, as if doing a bit more mixing, double cut 4, 4 (8 cards) from bottom to top, and you’re at required position. Kick cut the top half deck into your left hand and have the selected card replaced onto that top half. Get a break under it as you place the right-hand half onto it. Double cut to the break, bringing the selection to bottom, and your setup is intact just above it. Now go into the routine, same patter, and so on. The first deal is just as taught except that you scoop your last card (the selection) to under your cards. Deal again (spectator’s second packet; last card goes to him). When you pick up your (13-card) packet, casually cut or double cut the top two cards to bottom. Deal again (spectator’s third packet). When you pick up your (6-card) packet, cut or scoop the top card to bottom. Finally deal the spectator’s fourth packet. Scoop your last card to under your other two cards, and as you pick up the three cards, duck the top card to bottom. This is to center the selection, and it looks like a simple and short mixing. Deal these last three cards as taught.
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Your last, remaining, card will be the selection—and the aces fall top, bottom, bottom, bottom, moving left to right with the spectator’s packets. Display them as taught.
o The second way is to set two aces at face and the other two at 4th and 12th from top. Get to position however you like, of course. Again, I set like this, from face: axxxxxxxaxxxaa (aiiiiiiiaiiiaa). Handle it as for the first setup; that is, as the spectator is looking at his card, casually double cut twelve cards from bottom to top. Have a card selected and go into the routine doing exactly as for the first method. The difference is that the aces fall t, b, t, t. I usually turn up the top cards of packets 1 and 3 simultaneously and then my left hand turns over the entire 2nd packet as my right hand turns up the 4th packet’s top card. And, sure, you can do the royal flush kicker this way, too. The basic setup is three of the high spades at bottom and the remaining two at 4th and 12th from top, and you’d force the bottom high spade. So you can set that way before starting. Or, you can set sxxxss . . . top and 9th from top. Then, as your spectator looks at his (forced) card, you’d double cut the three indifferent bottom cards to top, and you’re at position. If you want to set all from face so that you have more leeway for shuffling, you can set sxxxxxxxssxxxss (siiiiiiissiiiss). Then, after shuffling, cut nine cards from bottom to top. Cut, hold break, and riffle force the bottom high spade. Push it out for the spectator then bring your setup back to position. As he looks at and remembers his card, double cut three cards from bottom to top. You’re at position. The way you set up is up to you. Have the card replaced, as explained, bringing it to bottom. And do the routine as for the 4-ace ending explained above. The four high spades fall t, b, t, t, as for the aces.
o Let’s see, I think all that’s left is for me to teach how to have the selected card at bottom and do the ace and the royal flush kickers with 26 cards rather than with the entire deck. For the ace ending set from face moving upward: axxxaxxxaa. That leaves you a leeway of 16 cards on top for shuffling (face-up jog shuffle
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and/or Center Hindu Shuffle). Have a card selected from within the top 16 cards. As your spectator looks at it, double cut 4 and 4 (8 cards) from bottom to top, and you’re at position. Bring the selection to bottom, as explained, and into the routine. (At the end of the first deal, cut the top two cards of your 13-card packet to bottom. At end of the second deal, duck your top card to bottom; handle your last three cards as taught.) The aces fall t, t, b, b. The royal flush ending with 26 cards, and without having to set the selected card to a specific position: Set the high spades from bottom up: ssxxxsxxxss. Hindu Shuffle force the bottom high spade, then continue just as you did for the aces. (Don’t forget to double cut 8 cards from bottom to top.) Your last card will be the forced high spade, and the other high spades fall t, t, b, b.
o Well, talk about “full cycle”—you may get the same effect/reaction with the following, and it doesn’t really utilize the mathematical principle at all. And, it’s easy. I promise that this is the last version/method I’ll teach. The “What’re the odds?” patter would be the same, and you’ll probably want to get some “poker” patter into your presentation, because you’ll be dealing five packets, the fifth one to yourself, as if dealing a round of poker. Setup: Secretly get the four aces to top of the deck. That’s it; that’s the setup. Have a card freely selected and control it to under the aces. There are many ways to do that, of course. Tilt (depth illusion) being one of them. What I do is to undercut the bottom half deck with my left hand and have the selected card replaced onto it. I then rapidly peel four cards from top of the right-hand half onto his card, as part of “losing” his card. Drop the right-hand half onto all, catching a momentary break; double cut to the break. Or—simply control the card onto the top aces, overhand jog shuffle once or twice and then run five cards and throw back to top. It’s important to stress the thoroughly mixed condition of the cards. Start to deal out the five packets, four left to right, the fifth to yourself. “What’re the odds of your card falling into my group here? Five to one, I guess.” And so on. Deal out the entire deck. The last two cards go onto packets 1 and 2. Deal out your ten cards, scooping your last (second) card to under your one card. Pick up your two cards and deal the top one onto any one of the four packets.
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That’s it; you’re done. Your one card is the selection. Then—“What are the odds against this?” and turn over the four packets to show the four aces. I use the selected card to flip them over. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that you can “do” the royal-flush ending by forcing the high spade that’s under the four other high spades, or by controlling it to that position. Yes, this method seems obvious, but it’s strong when properly presented. Afterthoughts: Obviously, if I could some way have known which you’d prefer— aces or royal flush kicker and whole or half deck or how not to have to place the selected card to a specific position—I could have taught it in a fraction of the time and space. Since I didn’t, and I don’t, know that, I had no choice but to teach all versions. I suggest that you run through all of them and then decide which you want to perform. When you’ve made that decision, work on that particular version. The important thing, of course, is to “cover” the dealing time with interesting talk; that takes the curse off the dealing. And, if done after you’ve established yourself, and for the right audience, they should be hanging onto your every word and the dealing is no problem.
Learn the version you want to perform so that you can do the setting up quickly and easily and so that your thinking when double cutting and ducking cards doesn’t show. I think you’ll love the reaction you’ll get with whichever version you perform! (ODD BACK) AND FORTH A friend told me how much he loved performing my effect, Color Quickie (you’ll find it in THE CLASSIC COLLECTION, Vol. 1). In the next breath, he told me of an effect he’d seen that started with the performer asking a spectator to name any card. When it was named, the performer started to write it on a piece of paper, then stopped, threw away the paper, and said that that was a mistake, etc. I stopped listening! Then my friend said, “Hey Harry, can you come up with a routine like Color Quickie that starts like that? I think that’d be interesting.” Well, I’m starting not to accept challenges, but this started the wheels spinning a bit. And that’s what led to the routine that follows. You might want to try it.