Pages from precursor no 48 39163

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P R E C U R S O R

X L V I I I

This is PRECURSOR XLVIII and is published in March are at 2215 Myrtle Street, Erie, Pennsylvania, published more than three times a year, and it will three issues. Outside the United States, Canada, sent Air Mail for $19.00 (U.S.).

1995. The editorial offices 16502.

PRECURSOR will be be sold for $16.00 (U.S.) for and Mexico, three issues are

Pete Lentini's "Biddle - Biddle With A Fiddle And A Diddle In The Middle" is another of his simplified versions of an Alex Elmsley trick using his "Bo-Top Switch" from PRECURSOR XXXV. ToÂŤ Craven's "Signed Sealed And Numbered" is an thought-of number on a freely selected and signed variation wherein a thought-of number vanishes performer and reappears on the card signed by the

interesting appearance of a card. I have come up with a from a card signed by the spectator.

At the 1994 original Close-Up Convention in Buffalo, Anthony Brahass showed me a very nice way to bring "Out Of This World" to a climax. Rather than just explain Anthony's "climax," I am going to "Revisit Out Of This World" and explain a couple of up-to-date ideas.

"Poker Chip Chicanery" is a cute little routine of three effects of a mathematical nature devised by Paul Swinford and customized for himself, but the spectators don't have to know what the letters spell.

Actually, why not substitute another word that spells with eight different letters for "Swinford."

For example, if "CONJURED" were substituted for "SWINFORD," then in place of the key word, "W-I-D-S-N-O-R-F," we would substitute the following key phrase, "O-N-D-C-J-R-E-U" (which translates to "On D.C. Junior Europe," and for "I-R-O-S" we have "I-E-R-C" (which translates to "That Is R.C."). I believe "Royal Crown Cola" is a nationally recognized soft drink.

Michael O'Dowd gives us "An Advantage Tabled Slip Cut" that has been used by advantage players in live games. I would use this cut in conjunction with a "Zarrow Shuffle." Give the deck one "Zarrow Shuffle," bringing the top stock under two stranger cards from the center of the deck. The "Advantage Tabled Slip Cut" will now lose the two stranger cards back to the center of the deck and leave the top stock intact.

Joe Rindfleisch's "Card Case Revelation" is a cute little novelty. I am not sure in my own mind if the trick should end at the point that it does or should something magical happen to the selected card.

Just an idea - start with the Joker face up on the bottom of the face-down deck.

Force the Ten of Hearts, and while it is being looked at and shown around, drop the left hand to the side and turn the deck over. Have the Ten of Hearts returned and complete the revelation. Now, open the card case and remove the deck, leaving the Joker behind. Ribbon spread the deck face up to show one reversed card, the Ten of Hearts. Is this a Climax or an Anti-Climax?

Gary Plants' "Miracle Pairing" is another version of Gary's "Miracle Deal." This is a non-sleight-of-hand version and is especially good for repeat performances when spectators seem to be getting ideas that you are actually capable of Bottom Dealing.

"Spell The Name" by Aldo Coluabini is a very simple spelling routine that probably had its beginnings in Larry Jennings' "Prefiguration" in Genii, Vol. 29 #6.

In the spring of 1994, I got a letter from J. K. Hartaan. He was looking for the source of a Force which turned out to be Gary Ouellet's "Touch Force" from CLOSE-UP ILLUSIONS. Jerry was so happy that I provided this information that he provided his trick, "Fitted Force," to PRECURSOR readers.

Williaa P. Miesel November 1, 1994

Don't be too alarmed at the date of William's introduction to PRECURSOR XLVI11.

I was working on this issue back in November and had hoped to finish it up over the holidays. Talking to William one night, he said he would like to schedule the mailing for March. Well, let me tell you ... I didn't do any work on the issue during the holiday season. I was able to concentrate full time on making martinis disappear.

The new year started, and I fussed a bit with the issue, but I didn't do much serious work on it until it suddenly dawned on me that March was three days away!

My schedule right now shows me getting the issue to the printer tomorrow, with the hopes of getting it back the same day. The printer offered! If this is true, I can still ship to William in February, and he will be on his schedule of mailing your copies in early March.

William says the next issue is ready to mail to me, and I'll get right on it.

You won't have to wait too long to receive your next issue. In fact, the closing of the plant in which I work is now hopefully set as the end of June. After that, I, like William now, will be able to devote more quality time to PRECURSOR, and the frequency of publication will probably increase. At least that is the plan.

Looking up a completely different subject in the COLUMBIA ENCYCLOPEDIA, I happened onto the subject of curfew, and I thought its history was very interesting. It was "originally a signal (the ringing of a bell) to damp the fire, extinguish all lights in the dwelling, and retire for the night. The custom originated as a precaution against fires and was common throughout Europe in the Middle Ages."

Harper's Magazine publishes a "Harper's Index" each month. Recently, this fact page informed the rest of the world that 1994 was the year in which eunuchs won the right to vote in India.

Ed Eckl

BIDDLE - BIDDLE WITH A FIDDLE AND A DIDDLE IN THE MIDDLE

This effect is based on ideas that I came across in the UNDERGROUND ELMSLEY NOTEBOOK in an effect entitled "Biddle With A Fiddle In The Middle."

1. Run through the face-up deck and toss out a pair of mates, e.g. the red Deuces, face up onto the table. Square up the rest of the cards and turn the deck face down in the left hand in dealing position.

2. With the right hand, pick up the pair of Deuces and hold them between the thumb on the face and the fingers on the back with the uppermost Deuce fanned to the left.

Figure 1

3. The left thumb commences to riffle down into the deck from the top at the outer left hand corner. The spectator is now instructed to call, "Stop," at any time during the riffle. When the spectator calls out, "Stop," immediately stop the riffle.

4. The right hand with the fanned Deuces now approaches the deck from the front, and the uppermost Deuce is inserted into the break about a quarter of an inch.

The left thumb riffles off one more card, and the lowermost Deuce is guided into the deck under this card. The pair of Deuces is now pushed another inch or so into this break.

5. Loosen the grip on the deck with the left hand just slightly as the right hand squeezes the pair of Deuces, beveling them slightly. The right hand pulls the Deuces back out of the deck with the "stopped at" card between them out-jogged from the top of the fan. This idea is the basic move used by Ken Krenzel in his routine, "Chop Sticks," which can be found in his early lecture notes, A CAVALCADE OF SUBTLE SORCERY. 6. Say, "Your selection - I'm not even going to touch it." Tilt the right hand back so that the audience can see the face of the selected card but that it cannot be seen by yourself. As the spectators are looking at the selection, get ready to perform the "Bo-Top Sandwich Switch" by pushing the face card of the deck to the right about a half an inch with the left fingers.