RSOR mflGflzin€ OF innovflTion LXXIX
PRECURSOR LXXIX
This is PRECURSOR LXXIX and is published in August 2001. 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 1-814-454-8802). PRECURSOR will be published more than three times a year, and it will be 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.). Dan Block's "Boards And Bones" is a double card discovery in which two cards are chosen with the aid of a pair of dice and then later discovered. "Count of Coincidence" by Michael DeMarco uses the same Stewart James and Howard Lyons techniques that he used in "Case Count" in Precursor LXXVI, but the effect is quite different. "Identity Crisis" by Warren Stephens is the perfect pseudo, impromptu card trick that is ideal for performing anytime, especially while attending a magic convention. There have been many tricks in Precursor using the down/under deal, but they all dealt with only one card at a time. In the "Down/Under Deal With Multiple Cards," Hideo Kato breaks new ground by dealing a multiple number of cards at a time down and then under. I was very impressed with Hideo Kato's "Down/Under Deal With Multiple Cards." I started playing around with it and made a few discoveries, which are explained in "Double Down/Under Elimination." Two spectators each find their selection at the completion of random Down/Under Deals with their own packets. Marty Kane offers us an interesting effect that he has titled, "Spelled Invisible Toss" where a selected card vanishes from a small packet and is then found reversed in the deck. In 1986, I obtained a copy of David Britland's book Psycho-Mancy, and I found his trick, "Tandem," quite intriguing. The concept of the plot is interesting, but the actual method of performance is quite cumbersome. "Ring Around The Cross" is my streamlined handling of Britland's trick. Al Thatcher's "Climax Estimation" adds a very surprising "kicker" to a Paul Diamond/Jon Racherbaumer effect, which is based on a much earlier effect. I first learned the principle upon which this trick is based from Scarne On Card Tricks, but it goes back even further than that. One of Tom Hubbard's favorite card routines is Brother John's "The Signed Card." The critical part of the routine is the removing of three Aces, apparently all four, right at the beginning. Tom did not feel completely comfortable using the technique described by Brother Hamman, so he worked out this "Lead-In To The Signed Card." In the Spring of 1948, Neal Elias and Lynn Searles collaborated on this "Tops And Bottoms Poker Deal." This was during the period that Neal was corresponding with Stewart James, and Neal described this effect to him. Stewart made some very important suggestions that were
incorporated into the routine. With this as a starting point, Stewart James developed his "So-Fair Poker Deal," which can be found in Stewart James In Print. For the first time, here is Neal Elias', Lynn Searles', and Stewart James' "Tops And Bottoms Poker Deal," which is quite a bit different than the "So-Fair Poker Deal." William P. Miesel June 1,2001
It was so nice to receive from William his caricature (I always have to look up this word, because I want to start it with "ch"). It came out of the blue, but I did know something was in the works. I thought it was GREAT, and I wanted to print it in Precursor, bit he wouldn't allow it... unless I printed mine, too. Okay, but mine really doesn't belong here.
Ed Eckl p. editor
publisher
Precursor magazine
Precursor magazine William's caricature was drawn by Alan Wassilak, whom you'll know from his "Basil the Baffling and Chloe" drawings in M-U-M. Alan also did a very nice caricature of Cesareo Pelaez in the comedy/tragedy vein for the 2000 New England Collectors' Yankee Gathering VIII at which Cesareo was guest of honor. Mine was done at a T.A.O.M. Convention in Dallas in '80. Actually it was drawn on a transparency on an overhead projector so everyone could watch it being done. That's Myra with me. Ed Eckl
BOARDS AND BONES In April 1968, a Nick Trost routine, "Cards And Dice Prediction" appeared in the New Tops, Vol. 8 #4 and later in 1997, it also appeared in the Card Magic of Nick Trost and was the inspiration for this routine. The effect of this routine is very different from Trost's, which is a prediction whereas this routine is a discovery of two selections. 1. This is an impromptu routine; all that is needed is the deck of cards and a pair of dice, and it can be performed at any time in the act. If the deck hasn't been shuffled previously, now is the time for the spectator to give it a shuffle. 2. Take back the deck from the spectator and ribbon spread it face up across the close-up pad, calling attention to the fact that the cards are well-mixed. At the same time, memorize the eighth card from the back of the deck. Here is the procedure that I use - during the spread, I note the cards from the back in groups of three while ribbon spreading them. I note the third, then the sixth, and then memorize the ninth card. Scoop up the spread, square up the cards, then Slip Cut the top card to the center of the deck. 3. Set the deck aside for the moment - the memorized card is now eight down from the back of the deck. Bring out the pair of dice and toss them out on the table. Instruct the spectator, "Take the dice and toss them a few times to assure yourself that they are normal. " 4. When the spectator is satisfied that the dice are fair, turn your back to him. Tell the spectator, "Toss the dice one more time. Add the two numbers on the top of the pair of dice together and remember the total. " For this description, let's assume the top numbers of the two dice are a two and a six, which add up to eight. That is what the spectator is remembering. 5. Now, instruct the spectator, "Pick up one of the dice and turn it completely over and add the bottom number to your total and remember the new total. " Let's assume that he picks up the die with the two on top. When he turns the die over, the bottom number will be the five and when it is added to the total, the new total that he now is remembering is thirteen. 6. Now, tell the spectator after he turns the die over, "Roll that die again and add the new number on top to your total. " Let's suppose the number on top after the roll is the three. After he adds three to his previous total of thirteen, he comes up with a grand total of sixteen, which is the number that he must memorize. 7. The spectator now covers the dice without disturbing them, hiding them from view. The ideal cover would be an upside-down dice cup if one is handy. 8. Turn around, pick up the deck of cards, and hand it face down to the spectator. Say, "/ will turn my back again and I want you to deal cards from the top of the deck, one at a time, into a face-down pile on the table. Count the cards to yourself and stop after dealing a card for the number you have in mind. " In our example, he will deal sixteen cards, one at a time, into a pile on the table. Have him set the talon of the deck aside again. 9. Say to the spectator, "Lift the cover from the dice and add up the two numbers on top of the dice and then recover the two dice. " In our example, he will add six and three for a total of nine.