Pages from precursor no 83 39195

IIIXXX1

UOIIUAOUUI dO 3UIZUOUUU U

PRECURSOR LXXXIII This is PRECURSOR LXXXIII and is published in July 2002. 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.).

When I see my subscribers at conventions they all tell me how much they enjoy the material, but they don't write until something really strikes their fancy, and then I get all their favorite variations. This happened about fifteen years ago when I published Ron Zollweg's handling of the "Red Card." This was followed by many different handlings over the next year or so. In Precursor LXXX there were two tricks that were based on Scalbert's "Mystery of the Seventh Card" and the "Rusduck Problem." Hideo Kato's "Predestined 13," which has its roots in the "Mystery of the Seventh Card" and Mathew Field's "Field Poker Divination" in the "Rusduck Problem." Now, I have received two more handlings along these same lines.

The first of these is Peter Tappan's very scholarly study of the Rusduck Problem entitled "Kiss and Tell." The only thing that I can add to the history of the effect is this: In Cardiste #3, Rusduck said, "Sometime back, Scalbert brought forth the 'Mystery of the Seventh Card' (1945), but my problem is to reduce this to a Four-Card Effect - I have a vague recollection of seeing a solution somewhere but I can't remember where or when." I didn't know it at that time but it was probably Scalbert's "Mystery of the Fifth Card," which was marketed by Max Andrews in 1947.

Hideo Kato then offers "Kato's Field Poker Divination," which combines Mathew Field's "Field Poker Divination" with his own "Predestined 13." The results approach the "Rusduck Problem" from a totally different direction.

"Vanish And Reproduction" is a little quickie that Dan Block likes to use as a little interlude between two other tricks. It is accomplished using a combination of two well-known sleights.

Marty Kane's "Ramasee Ramblings" consists of three different routines that utilize the principle involved in Howard Adams' "Ramasee Prophecy" from his OICUFESP Vol. 10.

"Bob's Delusion" is Bob King's version of Charlie Miller's "Dunbury Delusion." "Bob's Delusion" is brought to a successful conclusion using a simple move credited to Henry Christ and finally a funny Eddie Fechter line.

"Agronomix" consists of some of Phil Goldstein's packet trick ideas that are designed to be used with a specific packet of cards. This packet can be easily made up from one deck each of regular cards, double-backers and double-facers. It seems that there should be further tricks utilizing this packet.

"Diminishing Duck & Deal" by Reinhard Miiller is based on Hideo Kato's "Down/Under Deal With Multiple Cards" in Precursor LXXIX. Please go back and review Hideo Kato's trick, but briefly here is the effect: A card is selected and returned to the deck. The deck is now given a Multiple Down/Under Deal where four cards are dealt down and the next four under. This four down and four under count is continued until you are stopped by the spectator. Now, two are dealt down and two under until the spectator stops you. The deck is now handed to the spectator 1

who does a normal Down/Under Deal and ends up with his selection. Now, Reinhard Miiller explains which different sized packets can be used in a Diminishing Duck & Deal and where the final card has to positioned at the beginning.

In his Introduction of Hideo Kato in the last issue, PRECURSOR LXXXII, Phil Goldstein contributed "Spud," an excellent handling for a spelling trick. For years I had been working on the same premise with a different handling. I never had been able to develop an adequate control of the selected card, but I was really taken by the Phil Goldstein control. Other than the control my handling is different, but it achieves similar results.

William P. Miesel

Additional Credits for "Kiss and Tell" by Peter Tappan Just as this issue is about to go to press, and well after preparing Peter Tappan's manuscript for publication, he informed me that Max Maven had recently been able to furnish more specific information about where to find the Martin Gardner and George Sands references mentioned in the article. Peter Tappan has sent along these comments: "The discussion by Martin Gardner appears in the chapter entitled 'The Chicago Magic Convention' in his book The Unexpected Hanging and Other Mathematical Diversions, published in 1969. The book consists largely of material from his columns in Scientific American between 1961 and 1963. Gardner credits Victor Eigen for the versions discussed.

Like mine and like the solution sought by Rusduck, it involves five arbitrarily chosen cards, one of which is selected. However, it is presented more as a puzzle than as a trick, in that no attempt is made to hide the arranging the four cards. Gardner clearly explains the mathematics involved.

Other than discussing an exceptionally clever (but unfortunately non-repeatable) method of coding an extra needed bit of information; however, he omits any practical details such as how to actually code and decode the selected card.

"Gardner also refers to an item by Tom Ransom in Ibidem #24. This turns out to be a largely theoretical discussion in which Ransom suggests reducing the amount of information to be coded by placing restriction on which of the five chosen cards may be picked as the selection.

"The discussion by George Sands appears in Genii, Vol. 55 #5. A number of presentations are given, involving various numbers of cards. In addition to coding by arranging cards in order, most of these also rely on limiting the spectator's choice and/or giving extra signals, such as telling the spectator where to position the selected card."

William P. Miesel & Peter Tappan

I was remembering the little paper bags we used to get when we bought penny candy, and I recalled a conservation with Ray Cottee who said that in Canada, the expression was "cent candy". Hey ... I'm going back about 55 years! Please excuse the diversion into the "olden times".

Ed Eckl 2

KISS AND TELL A SOLUTION TO THE RUSDUCK PROBLEM - A STUDY IN STUD Introduction In 1983, while re-reading the book Practical Mental Effects, I ran across an Annemann effect entitled "Parallel Thoughts." It is a two-person effect in which a spectator, guided by the performer, deals any four cards and chooses one of them. The four cards are mixed and the magician leaves the room. The medium enters, looks at the cards, and divines which one of the four was selected. The method is a simple code system whereby the performer leaves clues for the medium that tells which card was selected.

Upon reading this, I pondered whether it might be possible to code the name of any card by properly arranging a very small number of any other freely selected cards. Analysis led to my development of systems using five, four, three, two, and even one card, depending on how much information is coded by means other than just the sequence of the cards.

In my opinion, the most interesting and practical solution is the one using four cards. With five cards, there are 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 or 120 ways of arranging them in a sequence, so it is not much of a challenge to devise a code to signal any of 52 cards by properly arranging all five. With only four cards, on the other hand, to the average person I believe it seems utterly impossible that the mere order they are in could convey enough information to identify any one of 52 cards. In fact, it is impossible, as there are only 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 or 24 ways to arrange four objects in a sequence. I believe this seeming impossibility throws off spectators to whom it may occur that the order might be significant. Moreover, the presentation about to be explained is designed to disguise the fact that any arranging of the cards is going on.

As will be seen, with a slight variation, the trick may be presented over the telephone with the spectator doing all the talking to the medium.

Subsequent to devising this, I learned that others have wrestled with this and similar problems over the years. I believe, however, that my solution offers advantages in simplicity, practicality, deceptiveness, and performability over other that I am aware of.

The History In 1981, Geoffrey Scalbert's Selected Secrets was published. One of the items therein is "The Mystery of the Seventh Card," which was first published in 1945 by Max Holden. In this effect, the spectator deals any seven cards face down and selects one of them. He then calls out to the medium, who is on the telephone or in the next room, the names of the other six as the performer picks them up one by one and shows them to him. The medium reveals the name of the selected card. The method involves coding by revealing each of the six cards to the spectator either quickly or slowly. For example, if the medium hears the first card quickly after she asks for it, but then there is a slight delay when she asks for the second, she knows the selection is a Spade.

The second pair of cards similarly used to code which of four groups the value belongs to, and the last pair designates the member of the group.

To me, this method seems cumbersome, and the likelihood of the medium misinterpreting at least one of the six signals as relayed by the unwitting and perhaps unreliable spectator seems