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Other Books by HARRY LORAYNE:
How To Develop A Super-Power Memory Secrets of Mind Power Close-Up Card Magic
Photos by CHARLIE KALISH
Copyright 1964 by Louis Tannen
Published by LOUIS TANNEN, New York, N. Y. 10036
FOREWORD The effects and routines you'll find here are some that I purposely left out of my first book on cards, Close-Up Card Magic. Frankly, I had intended to keep them to myself. However, the response to Close-Up Card Magic has been so overwhelming and Lou Tannen has been so persuasive—that I finally acquiesced to putting these in print. That's the reason for the title, P.S. This is really just an addenda to Close-Up Card Magic. I've still managed to keep a few to myself, and perhaps, someday, I'll be persuaded to part with them. But for the time being I think you'll find enough here to keep you busy for a while. For many years I've heard the cardman's lament, "Give me quickies!" Well man, I dig the quickies too—but give me a few lengthy effects—if they're good. The Fantastic Card Square and Red & Black Fantasy are, admittedly, lengthy routines. But, and this has been my contention for years, there is nothing wrong with a long routine if it is entertaining, interesting and a fooler. All the well-informed cardmen for whom I've performed the above mentioned two (and others) have admitted—one, that they were certainly fooled. Two, that they were interested and followed me intently all the way. And three, there's nothing wrong with a good long routine. (As further examples, have you tried Out Of This Universe, Coincidentally Yours, No Looking, Little Fella'—Big Fella' or Lorayne's Poker Deal from Close-Up Card Magic?) So far as laymen are concerned—well, I did these long routines for many years, for money—and for intelligent laymen—and I still do them. They never fail to cause much comment, and they've been reputation makers for me. They can do the same for you if you learn to do them and present them well. The other effects contained herein are shorter in length, but also, to my mind and from my experience, reputation makers when done well. Again, as in the foreword of Close-Up Card Magic, I'd like to talk about credits. In Close-Up Card Magic, I gave credit to whomever credit was due, so far as I knew. Where no other magician was mentioned, the effect or routine was, and is, mine. In this book— all the effects are original with me. Where my idea stemmed from someone else's idea, I've mentioned that fact.
None of the effects in this book, incidentally, are pick-a-card tricks. I believe you'll agree that they are all off-beat, unusual effects—and very difficult for any other cardmen to reconstruct. Since the appearance of Close-Up Card Magic, I've received many letters from magicians not only suggesting that I write more books, but also that I price them higher so that they wouldn't fall into just anyone's hands. Well, although I agree with that in principle, I can't agree otherwise. My (magic) books are not readily available to the general public, and although most magicians I meet have Close-Up Card Magic-l still fool them with effects that are in it! The point is—those not particularh qualified will not be using the stuff I write anyway—or so it seems. So, instead of worrying about the fact that any magician can buy my books and learn the same tricks you can-use that time and energy to learn the effects properly. You'll still fool most of your magician friends—and certainly, all the laymen.
Harry Lorayne
C O N T E N T S
Personal Secrets FOREWORD
3
FOUR OF A KIND
6
RED & BLACK FANTASY
11
FOUR MORE
17
LEAP FROG
20
MAGICIAN VS. GAMBLER
27
COLOR QUICKIE
31
REVERS-ALL
34
THE FANTASTIC CARD SQUARE
39
TEN CARD PUZZLER
49
6
PERSONAL SECRETS FOUR OF A KIND
for both laymen and magicians, I am releasing this routine for the first time. If done smoothly, it is off-beat, a complete fooler, and something people will remember. Effect: Spectator names any four of a kind. Magician runs through deck, placing these four on the table. Deck is cut into two face up halves. The four selected cards are separated and lost into one half. This half is turned face down and riffled into the other, face up, half. Magician shows that deck is now mixed with some cards face down and some face up. A snap of the fingers, and deck is fanned to show all cards now facing one way. Another snap, and the four selected cards are found to be the only ones reversed in the deck! Method and Presentation: Although easy to do, this will be difficult to describe in print—so please follow it with cards in hand. Have any deck shuffled. As you take it back, ask spectator to name any four of a kind. Assume he selects deuces. Turn deck face up and start spreading from left to right hand, either stepping up the deuces as you come to them, or dropping them face up on table. However—you must leave one deuce near the center of the deck. Just pretend you didn't see it. If there is no deuce near the center, leave the closest one, and remember approximately where it lies. Now—you have three deuces on the table. Remark that you must have overlooked one. (If the deuce was not at center, you cut deck once, now, to bring it as close to center as possible.)
A
FOOLER
Start to spread again until you come to this deuce. Drop it on the table with the other deuces. But—do it this way:—Stop spreading with the deuce at the face of the left-hand cards. The left hand goes to table and deposits the deuce. (See Fig. 1.) Cards in right hand are still held in spread formation. NOTE: Most of the photos arc from performer's view—unless otherwise indicated.
PERSONAL SECRETS
7
Now, and follow this closely—as you say, 'Would you pick those up for me"—you come back toward right hand with left hand and do a "half pass"—backing the deck! This is done as you close the spread. The left fingers simply reverse their half as the spread is closed. (See Fig. 2 and 2A.) The natural misdirection here is perfect. The spectator is, or should be, picking up the four deuces as you do the move. But please — don't make it look like a move. Simply close the spread, leave the deck in left hand and reach for the deuces with the right hand.
Place the deuces face up on the face up (?) deck. Now, saying that you want two halves, the right hand comes over the deck, forefinger bent on face, second, third and fourth fingers on outer end, and thumb on inner end. Find the natural bridge where the backs meet, and the right thumb allows one face up card to fall onto the face down half. You needn't rush this. It is not a move. You're supposedly trying to break the deck as near center as possible, so it doesn't matter if you look or take a little time. Cut the top half to the table with the right hand. Now come back, take the remaining half, and place it to the left of the tabled cards. To the audience, you've simply cut the deck into two face up halves. The situation is actually this:— The four deuces are at the face of the right-hand face up half; and left-hand half consists of all face down cards except the top one. I've explained this in detail because I want you to get it right. Now—take one deuce from the right-hand half and deliberately place it on the face of the left-hand half. Pick up this half with the left hand, being careful not to spread the cards. Pick up another deuce with the right hand, and place it to the bottom (rear) of the half you're holding. NOTE: Fig. 2—Move starting. Front view. Fig. 2A—Move ending. Performer's view if hands are tilted up.
8
PERSONAL SECRETS Explain that now you have two deuces widely separated. You can push the face deuce off with the left thumb for about half an inch then turn the left hand over as you talk. Everything looks as it should. Say that you will separate the remaining two deuces. Turn the cards face up again and square them. Take the third deuce from the tabled half and place it face up about eight or ten cards from the bottom of the half you're holding, tilt it to the left. Take the last deuce and place that face up about eight or ten cards from the face, and tilt it to the right. The idea is to separate them as widely as possible, the four deuces being equally spaced. Explain this to the audience as you do it. The tilting of the deuces is merely for show—it looks good. The cards in your hand now lookas in (Fig. 3). Turn the hand over once or twice, as you talk. Now holding the half face up, push the two deuces flush. Be careful not to spread the cards.
Say that not only have you obviously separated the deuces, but you will thoroughly lose them by mixing the cards face down and face up. As you talk, turn the left hand over and place the face down (?) cards in it near the tabled face up half. Now riffle shuffle the halves into each other. The thumbs should do all the work so that the fingers can cover the cards as much as possible. (See Fig. 4.) Allow some cards to fall off the right thumb first, then a few from the left thumb (to allow the first deuce and the one odd card to stay together), then riffle normally, allowing some cards from the right-hand half to fall last. Push the halves flush slowly. Please practice this riffle shuffle so that you can do it fairly rapidly and without allowing the spectators to see that the left-hand half really consists of mostly face up cards. Pushing the two halves NOTE: Fig. 4—Thumbs arc moved back in photo for clarity.
PERSONAL SECRETS 9 flush, slowly, is convincing, because they'll see face down cards going into face up cards. This next part is the topper if done nonchalantly. As you say, "Now you see, some cards are face up, some face down, etc."—cut lightly to demonstrate. The natural bridge caused by the reversed cards will make it easy to cut at them, showing face down cards. (See Fig. 5.) Of course, you do not complete these cuts. Actually, you simply keep lifting cards at different sections of the deck, to demonstrate.
While doing this, at one point, lift near the bottom of the face up deck, and it will break at the bottom-most deuce and the one odd reversed card. You can check if you're right by spreading to make sure there are two face down cards at that point. Then simply turn over the top one of the two (the odd card), saying, "And of course, it makes no difference if they're face down or face up." Lift once or twice more after this, showing face down and face up cards—then stop. You have straightened out the one odd card the easiest way—right under their noses, and without a sleight. Remember, do it nonchalantly and there's no reason for anyone to suspect anything—you're merely showing that some cards are facing one way, and some the other. So far as the audience is concerned, the deck is thoroughly mixed face up and face down, and the deuces are hopelessly lost. Actually, the entire deck is now face up, except the four deuces! The ending may go a few different ways, according to the next step. If you pressure fan the face up deck without applying too much pressure (and with white margined cards, of course), the reversed cards will not show. So—snap your fingers, or what have you—do the pressure fan to show that the cards now all face one way. This is the first climax.
10
PERSONAL SECRETS
Close the fan, saying, "Rut what about the four deuces?' Turn deck face down, snap your fingers again, do a wide pressure fan, applying pressure this time—and the four deuces will appear face up neatly separated through the face down deck!! (See Fig. 6.) That's the way I always end it. At first, before you practice, you may find that a back will show during the first fan. You have no choice—you'll have to show it to be a deuce, saying that one deuce
has reversed itself. Now you can cither close the fan and fan again showing another reversed deuce, or turn the deck face down and fan to show the other three deuces at once, etc. If you like, you can use a table ribbon spread to display and end. The effect is eerie and a fooler either way—but, I suggest you practice it as I'\ e explained. Afterthoughts: I don't think any further explanation is necessary. I might mention that you can remember the name of the odd card as you're placing the first deuce, if you like. Then when you're lifting to show face up and face down cards — when you turn up the one card, you know you've got the right one. This isn't essential, of course, since if you've followed my instructions, there can be only the one odd card to turn up. One other point: when you cut the deck into two face up halves at the start, I suggest you place them under the spectator's nose — or as close to him as you can. The reason being that if the cards are bridged too much, the one face up card on the face down half may be obvious from the ends or sides. It won't be, if the spectator is looking down at the cards. (After I invented and wrote this effect, I was told that my friend, Al Leech had a similar effect in his wonderful pamphlet,