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A MAGAZINE OF INNOVATION EDITED BY

WILLIAM P. MIESBL

PUBLISHED BY

unikorn magik

P R E C U R S O R

X X X V I I

This is PRECURSOR XXXVII and is published in November 1992.

The editorial offices are at 2215 Myrtle Street, Erie, Pennsylvania, 16502. PRECURSOR will be published at least three times a year, and it will be sold for $16.00 (U.S.) for three issues. Outside the United States, Canada, and Mexico, three issues are sent Air Mail for $19.00 (U.S.).

A couple of years ago, PRECURSOR was on a "Transposition" kick (see numbers 19 - 23 - 26) wherein the main objective was to take the confusion out of the effect. At that time, Paul Cummins was not a subscriber but has since become one.

The first effect that he sent me is "Bar None", and this routine fits right into the mold of the previous effects.

"Bar None" is very strong with no confusion whatever. Don't pass it up.

"Cardician's Transposition" by Michael DeMarco is another routine based on the transposition of two playing cards.

The beginning phases are not quite as clear-cut as some routines and could use some clarifying, but the final phase makes it all worthwhile.

Phil Goldstein gives a nice addition to a sixty-year oldie, Victor Farelli's "Controlled Coincidence." There is also a bit of history here. I bet most of my readers will be familiar with the principle but could not tell you that the originator was Victor Farelli. Anyway, Phil's idea is very good and a useful addition to a fine routine.

Warren Stephens has always come up with some very different ideas, and his "Envelope Holdout" or "Signed Card to Envelope" is different. This is a fine "Card to Envelope", but the "Envelope Holdout" is a very useful utility prop that is very versatile.

Leo Boudreau gives us a very informative essay entitled "Faro Rules." These rules are pretty much common knowledge, but there may be one or two that are not that well known and will prove useful. It is definitely an advantage to have them all in one place.

"The 'King' Is Alive - An Imposter, The Jack-In-The-Box, Is In His Grave." This sells papers for National Enquirer, maybe it will for PRECURSOR, too. Marty Kane's "Elvis And His Fans" is a routine based on this premise and has had its beginnings in David Solomon's "Jack-In-The-Box" from M.U.M., but the story is radically different and may not be everyone's "cup of tea."

If you are a frequent attendee at the PRECURSOR Suite, then you have probably been fooled by Gary Plants' demonstration of "Second - Center - Bottom Simulation." If you have seen him do this, you will definitely check it out and try it for yourself.

"Dazzle Aces" by Bob King is presented here as an Ace production. I am not a great believer in more Ace productions; there are more than enough already, but this is more versatile than that. By just changing the presentation and nothing technical, this effect is an effective "Spectator Cuts The Aces."

"Al's Masterpiece" is a card location that is virtually impossible to reconstruct. When the spectator placed an unknown number of cards into his pocket all reconstruction seems to be impossible. Al Thatcher added the final cog in the wheel with the "Breather Crimp" which seems to eliminate the idea of counting.

William P. Miesel

BAR NONE This, a very commercial routine, is a newer presentation of an old chestnut, "The Two Card Transposition." It is an excellent effect for over-the-bar work because it is fast, it involves the spectator directly (the magic happens in her hand), and it will fool any layman - badly. This routine requires a duplicate card; for this description assume that it is the Two of Clubs. To start, have both Twos of Clubs on top of the deck.

1. Have the spectator peek at a card, hold the usual break under the peeked card, and lower the left hand to dealing position. Push over the top card of the deck and say, "If I told you that your card was on top of the deck already, you'd say I'm crazy, right?"

2. As this line is delivered, bring the right hand over the deck from above and use your left little finger to side jog the peeked card to the right under the top, pushed over, card. Using the top card as cover (see EFFECTIVE CARD MAGIC

by Bill Simon) lift both cards, the top one and the selection under it, away from the deck and peek at the face. Of course, only the top card is apparent to the spectator. Note the name of the peeked card which is the face card of the pair.

3. Upon replacing the "double" card back on top of the deck, catch a left little finger break under "it." Look at the spectator and say, "Was it the Queen of Hearts." Name the selection and, of course, she will reply positively, not knowing how, with no apparent manipulation and in so little time, the card could arrive at the top of the deck. Immediately, double turnover the top two cards, "Did you see anything?" proving that the peeked card came to the top.

4. Hold your right hand, palm down, about four inches above the bar and say, "Hold your hand out like this." When she does, turn down the "double" and deal the top card onto the bar below her hand. Use your right hand to lower her hand down onto the card while saying, "That'll be your card," 5. False cut the deck and double turnover the top two cards as one while saying, "And I'll get a card for myself, the - Two of Clubs," naming the turned over "double" card.

6. Turn the "double'1 back down and take the top card in the right hand. Hold it with the thumb on the back, the forefinger on the face, and the other fingers on the back with the thumb. Tap the back of the spectator's hand with the card and remove the right thumb. The card will flip perpendicular to the bar between forefinger and the middle finger. Drop the Queen of Hearts face up on the back of her hand and say, "Did you feel anything?"

7. This is a strong change; the spectator thinks she has her card trapped against the bar, but there it is on top of her hand! It has been my experience that people don't want to look at the card under their hand because they're afraid it IS going to be the Two of Clubs.

A Few Notes: First, you are really doing two separate effects; the simple but moveless ambitious card effect, and then the very strong transposition effect.

Secondly, by making two effects out of the classic transposition, all confusion is obliterated - it is extremely clear to the spectator which card is below her hand. So clear, in fact, that that is why they don't want to lift their hand at the end.

Paul W, Cummins

The last two issues of PRECURSOR have been plagued with a bad bottom margin.

This was because of an incompatability of my Panasonic printer with the software I have been using. Forced into using WordPerfect at work, I finally switched from WordStar, with which PRECURSOR had been formatted since its beginning. This issue is being printed on an Epson printer which is more compatable with the present format. There will be two more issues using this format, and then there will be a change. The exact change hasn't been chipped into stone, so if you have any suggestions, please send them off to William. We are working on a new cover, and this one will have the volume number on it, as had been suggested in the past.

Congratulations to Phil Willmarth, the new editor of The Linking Ring. ably follow in some fine footsteps.

He will

I was thinking about Erdnase, and the following question arose in the mind of an imaginary organic chemist: "What kind of an enzyme is that?"

An optimist thinks of new ways of revealing chosen cards; a pessimist brushes up on "outs"!

Whenever I see a four-Ace trick, I wish that decks had only two suits.

They don't break wands over cardieians when they die.

They tear up a deck!

Ed Eckl

CARDICIAN'S TRANSPOSITION This routine is series of very open and clean transpositions of two playing cards.

1.

The deck that is in use has been freely shuffled and the routine is completely impromptu.

Hold the deck face down in the left hand in dealing position.

2. A card is removed from the center of the deck. Actually, the card is really a double card because "it" is removed from the center using the "Spin-Out Double Center Lift" from ANY SECOND NOW by Martin Nash.

3. Hold the deck face down in the left hand and riffle down to the center of the deck with the left thumb. The right thumb tip goes into the break. The left thumb releases the next two cards, one at a time, and they are caught by the right thumb.

4. The right forefinger now goes into the break under the double card and pinches "it," The right hand now moves to the right and slightly backwards revolving the "double" card around the left forefinger. As the "double" card comes out of the deck, "it" is pivoted face up onto the top of the deck. A flesh break, aka "Altman Trap," is held between the "double" and the rest of the deck at the base of the left thumb. Let's assume that "it" is the Eight of Hearts.

5. Lift the top two face-up cards as one. Thumb over the first face-down card and flip it face up with the "double" card. We'll assume that this is the Six of Clubs. Flip the Six of Clubs back face down on top of the deck and then the "double" Eight of Hearts face down on top of it.

6. Lift off the top card. This is believed to be the Eight of Hearts, but it is actually an indifferent card, and it is inserted into the front end of the deck just below center. This card is left out-jogged about an inch.

7. Double Turnover the top two cards of the deck and show the Six of Clubs again. The right thumb goes into the break under the "double" card and the fingers go on top. Pivot the "double" face down and insert "it" into the front of the deck several cards above the "Eight of Hearts." Cant it to the right for a second to show space between the two cards, and then return it to the center again.

8. A magic pass is now made over the deck with the right hand. The fingers of the right hand are wiggled and they partially hide the front edge of the deck.

While the right fingers are hiding the front edge of the deck, the left fingers curl around the front of the lowermost out-jogged card, the indifferent one, and pull it square into the deck.

9. While making the magic pass, say, "A pass and the Eight of Hearts will pass up through the Six of Clubs." With the right thumb, pull out the upper card of