Pages from precursor no 70 39178

mflGflzine OF innovirnon LXX

PRECURSOR LXX This is PRECURSOR LXX and is published in September 1999. PRECURSOR is edited by William P. Miesel and is published by unikorn magik. The editorial offices are at 2215 Myrtle Street, Erie, Pennsylvania, 16502-2643 (phone 814-454-8802). PRECURSOR is being published more than three times a year and is sold for $21.00 (U.S.) for three issues. Outside the United States, Canada, and Mexico, three issues are sent Air Mail for $25.00 (U.S.).

In Jon Racherbaumer's "Third Man Theme," five selected cards, which just happen to be a Royal Flush, are discovered in one poker hand as the climax of a multiple poker deal.

"Wise Up" by Phil Goldstein is a display of Ace Cutting that goes awry; but wait, the four Aces find the two cards that were originally cut to.

This is another trick from the past. In March 1947, Neal Elias was in New York City and while there, he met Dr. Jaks who showed him his "Initialed Card." Neal recorded this effect along with his own handling of it in his notebook. I think that Dr. Jaks' "Initialed Card" appears in print here for the first time. (If not - would someone please inform me of the original source.)

Even so, Neal's handling of the "Initialed Card" certainly appears in print here for the first time.

"The Dowsing Card Trick" is an interesting card discovery that makes use of a move that Warren Stephens came up with in his youth that gets the same results as a "D'Amico Spread."

Michael DeMarco's "Pangborn Return" is an interesting multiple transposition that is very easy to perform using only the "Add-On" move.

Marty Kane gives us "Even Deceivin'" in which the four selections are left after an "elimination reverse faro." The four selections prove to be even-valued cards while all of the eliminated cards are odd-valued ones.

"Empathus" by Tom Mosier is an excellent prediction effect in which a "stranger" card from another deck predicts a card that is forced using Henry Christ's "203rd Force" from Ted Anne-

mann's SH-H-H-! It's a Secret.

Tom Hubbard's "Found And Found" is a variation of Larry Jennings' "Larreverse" but instead of doing it in an in-hand fan, it is done from a ribbon spread on the table.

Tom Craven enjoys unusual card locations and "No Chance To Reconstruct" is one of those.

The only necessary move is a faro shuffle, but it is performed before the heat is on the deck. It is a straddle faro, and remember, it is much easier to faro a third of the deck into the two-third portion because the beginning of the weave is unimportant and the cut at the start is inconsequential.

Thanks to Ed we have one of the most unusual prediction tricks you will ever see. It is "Harry's Pie In The Deck" by Harry Hirschvogel. I defy you to find a more off-beat routine with a surprise prediction revelation at the climax.

William P. Miesel April 5, 1999

THIRD MAN THEME This is a combinatorial trick, integrating Joseph K. Schmidt's "Subconscious Poker," "Zen's Poker Placement," and Roy Baker's "PATEO Force" to create a different kind of presentation.

Effect: Five spectators each select a card, and the selections are then returned to the deck. The deck is shuffled and five poker hands are dealt. One of the hands is randomly chosen. The magician then expounds on the mystical properties of the number "three" and points out that the third card in the randomly chosen hand will also be the third spectator's card. He has the third spectator check and affirm this claim. Without showing any of the cards in this hand, he is asked to concentrate on his selection. The magician names it. Suppose it is the Queen of Spades. The hands are then reassembled and added to the talon, and all the cards are shuffled again. The magician asks the third spectator to name a number from one to five. Suppose, "four" is chosen.

The magician asserts that the third spectator's card, the Queen of Spades, will be the third card in the fourth hand. After the hands have been dealt out, the magician turns the third card in the fourth hand face up to reveal the Queen of Spades. He finally asks the other four spectators to name their selections. They turn out to be the Ten, Jack, King, and Ace of Spades. The magician reveals that the other four cards in the fourth hand are the other selections. Together they comprise a Royal Flush in Spades!

Set-up: Place the Royal Flush in Spades on top of the deck, arranged in 10S - JS - QS - KS AS order from the top down.

Method & Presentation: Introduce the deck and ask five spectators to assist. Approach the spectators and perform the Overhand-Pick-Up Shuffle Force. Position the cards for an overhand shuffle. Say, "When I begin shuffling, just say 'Stop' whenever you like. " Chop off about eight to ten cards into your left hand. Lower the right-hand cards onto the left-hand cards to begin another shuffle; secretly pick up the initial block on the bottom of the right hand section. Wedge the outer right corner of this block between the right second and third fingers, then continue shuffling off cards into your left hand.

When the spectator stops you, simply release the held-back block so that it ends up on top of the left-hand cards. Thumb off a card face down in front of each of the five spectators, moving from left to right. Make sure that the third spectator gets the third card, the Queen of Spades, of the stock. Ask each of the spectators to note and remember their respective card. If you have a preferred forcing procedure, substitute it.

Have the selections returned in 1-2-3-4-5 order and control them to the top. Use a Multiple Shift or any other control in your arsenal, but keep in mind, however, that the third selection must end up third after the control is completed. Perform some shuffles and cuts, retaining the five-card stock on top, then add ten cards above it. An easy procedure is to perform two legitimate riffle shuffles, adding five cards on top of the stock during each shuffle. Expound upon the mystical properties of the number three.

Deal out five poker hands of five cards each, dealing them from left to right in a row. Each hand now contains one of the flush-cards and each is third from the top. The third hand contains the third spectator's selection, the Queen of Spades. Mix the hands around but keep track of the third one. Point to the third spectator and say, "Since you are the third man, I want you to help me to choose a hand in a random manner. "

Your objective in this apparently fair, but haphazard process is to eliminate all the hands except the third one. This is done by a clever procedure devised by Roy Baker called the "PATEO Force," first published in Baker's Bonanza. It gives the impression that the spectator is a vital part of a random process whereby hands are eliminated. Explain that the third spectator is a mystical partner. Pick up any two hands that do not include the third selection. Hold one in each hand and ask the spectator to eliminate one. Place the eliminated hand face up on the table and replace the other one face down amongst the other hands.

Ask the third spectator to pick up any two of the remaining four face-down hands. Say, "You have now freely chosen two. Now I get a chance to eliminate one. As you can see the procedure is pretty haphazard. " If he does not pick up the third hand when he chooses his pair of hands, simply eliminate either hand and have it tabled face up. If he happens to choose the third hand as one of the two hands, eliminate the other one. This keeps the third hand in play. There are now only three face-down hands left.

Repeat this process by alternately picking up pairs of hands and eliminating one. As you can see, this process does not permit the spectator to ever eliminate the third hand. Because you get to make the decision with the last pair, you eliminate the hand that is not the third one and place it face up on the table. The third spectator is handed the remaining packet, which contains his card, the Queen of Spades.

Ask the third spectator to look at his hand without exposing the cards to anyone else. Say, "/ know that your selection is in your hand. Not only is it in your hand, but it is the middle card of your hand, meaning that it is third from the top or third from the face, proving that three is a mystical number. Concentrate on your card. You are concentrating on the Queen of Spades!"

Have the third spectator place his hand face down on the table. Pick up the five hands and reassemble them face down. This can be partially haphazard; however, the third hand must be picked up third. Place these twenty-five cards on top of the talon, then perform a few false shuffles and cuts.

Address the third spectator. "I'm again going to deal out five poker hands. Do you want your selection to appear in the third hand again...or do you want it to appear in the first, second, fourth, or fifth hand? " If the spectator chooses the third hand, simply deal out five hands of five cards each as before.

If he chooses one of the other four possibilities, preset the cards by using the Zens' approach. If he wants his selection in the first hand, double cut to lose two cards from the top of the deck. If he chooses the second hand, double cut to lose one card. If he chooses the fourth hand, Reverse Double Cut one card from the bottom to the top and if he chooses the fifth hand, Reverse Double Cut two cards from the bottom of the deck to the top. Deal out five hands of five cards each.

Indicate the chosen hand and remove the third card from the top and turn it face up to disclose the Queen of Spades. Say, "As you can see, the power of three is still at work. Your card is the third one in the selected hand!"

Ask the other four spectators to name their card. As soon as they are named, say, "This is indeed mystical. Not only did all of you choose Spade cards, and they have all ended up in the chosen hand... " Turn the other four cards face up while uttering the rest of the patter line, "...but they form a Royal Flush...which is unbeatable, unrepeatable, and unbelievable!"

Jon Racherbaumer