mflGflzine OF innovnTion XCVI
PRECURSOR XCVI This is PRECURSOR XCVI and is published in June 2005. 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). unikorn magik can be reached through Ed Eckl, "Clutter Cottage." 3 Gregg Street, Beverly, Massachusetts. 01915-2913 (phone 1-978-927-9388). 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.). "The Last Word" by Al Thatcher combines a variation of the "Automatic Placement" with Jim Steinmeyer's "Nine Card Problem" resulting in a very convincing "Lie Detector." Pete Lentini's "Second From Top Bo-Top" is a technical variation of his "Bo-Top Sandwich Switch," which was in Precursor XXXV a. dozen years ago. Marty Kane gives us "Fourking Over Weigh Too Much" another one of his "spelling and elimination deals" wherein the presentation revolves around the popular theme of weight loss. "Kind - A ... Sort - A...Ace Production & Transposition" by Eric Docker}' is a demonstration of your ability to cut Aces. The red Aces and the black Aces continuously change places. "The Card Lottery Prediction" by Tom Batchelor performed with a Lottery Theme.
is a very easy prediction of a number
"You Think Of A Card" is Tom Craven's answer to that age-old premise, "Think-A-Card." My "More Sandwiches" is a version of the classic "Sandwich" effect that has been designed to be repeated. The next two tricks are out of my notebook from the early 1970's: "A Reversal Of Fortunes" is a trick from the past out of my own notebook from February 1973. The performer apparently makes a mistake, and the wrong card reverses itself in the deck. After asking for a second chance, the correct card is instantly found reversed in the deck. "My Arrangement" is a handling of an effect, "An Arrangement," that was advertised in Genii, Vol. 36 #6, June 1972. I have never seen a performance of this routine but this handling should be different because it doesn't meet all of the conditions stated in the ad. William P. Miesel May 30, 2005
THE LAST WORD This makes use of an "Automatic Placement" to set up Jim Steinmeyefs "Nine Card Problem" from his book, Puzzibilities, producing a very convincing "Lie Speller'* effect. A full deck of fifty-two cards is required. One of the cards has a "breather crimp" that cuts to the face of the deck. Prior to beginning this routine, the deck should have been freely shuffled by one of the spectators. When the deck is taken back, simply cut the "Breather" to the face. Hold the deck with the faces toward yourself and count twenty-four cards, in eight groups of three, from the face into your right hand without reversing their order. When there are twenty-four cards in your right hand, the left thumb "slips" the breather from the face of the right-hand packet back onto the face of the left-hand packet. The right-hand cards are now returned to the face of the deck. As a result, the breather-crimped card is now twenty-fourth from the face of the deck. The above handling is not necessarily performed secretly but can be accomplished while just toying with the deck. 1. Say, "Did you know that decks of playing cards have a built-in polygraph machine - here, let me show vou how it works. "
The Selection 2. Place the deck face down on the close-up pad slightly to the left of center. Cut off about twothirds of the deck, and place it to the right of the deck in the center of the close-up pad. 3. Now, cut off about half of the larger top portion of the deck and place it to the right of the first two packets. There are now three, almost, equal sized packets of cards on the table. This is shown below.
bottom 1 /3
center 1/3
ill p M
ill
p H5Pl;%
1 11,1 breather crimp in middle
top 1/3