Magicwaysamplepages

THE MAGIC WAY The Method of False Solutions and The Magic Way

JUAN TAMARIZ Second edition, enlarged, thoroughly revised and updated

edited by G ema N avarro translated by R afael B enatar

Hermetic Press, Inc. Seattle, Washington

CONTENTS A Few Words from Gema Navarro

xi

Foreword to the Second Edition

xv

A Peek between The Ways

xvii

Introduction 3 I. The Magician’s Objective 3 II. Approaching the Objective

4

III. My Contribution—The Method of False Solutions and The Magic Way 5

PART ONE The Method of False Solutions and The Magic Way 7

I. Theory: The Mental Reactions of the Spectators

9

II. Visual Scheme of The Magic Way

15

III. General Technique of The Method

21

1. Description of the Effect in Steps

21

2. Study of General Solutions

22

3. Study of Particular Solutions

22

4. Choosing the Real Solution—Cover

35

5. Choosing the Final False Solution

36

6. Choosing the Solution-Effect

38

7. Stopping the Particular Solutions

41

8. Repeating the Effect with a Change of Solution

45

PART TWO Applications of The Method 47

I. Applications of The Method of False Solutions and The Magic Way to: 49

1. The Ambitious Card

49

1. General Effect

49

2. General Solutions

49

3. Particular Solutions

50

4. Choosing the Real Solution An Ambitious Card Routine in Seven Phases

53 54

5. Choosing the Final False Solution

67

6. Choosing the Solution-Effect

67

7. Stopping the Particular Solutions

67

8. Repeating the Effect with a Change of Solution

67

2. Miracle Divination (à la Al Koran)

71

3. The Magical Impression: The Slates

81

4. Oil and Water

97

A Bit of History

97

Application of The Method to the Oil and Water Effect

99

1. The Effect by Phases

99

2. Study of the General Solutions

99

3. Study of the Particular Solutions

99

II. Tamariz’s Oil and Water

105

But First—From Me to You (Confidentially)

108

A Little Introduction

109

Introducing the Elements

110

Confirmation of the Elements

114

The Color Alternation

120

Climax

138

153

Application of Points 4 through 8 of The Method

4. Choosing the Real Solution

153

5. Choosing the Final False Solution

153

6. Choosing the Solution-Effect

153

7. Stopping Particular Solutions

154

8. Repetition of the Effect

155

III. Original Methods for Oil and Water

157

1. The Audacious Method

159

2. Strippers I

163

3. Strippers II

167

4. Strip-out

171

5. Longitudinal Tenkai

175

6. Biddle—Under the Table Ending

181

7. Anti Oil and Water with Reversals

189

8. Anti Oil and Water: Four More Methods

193

Biddle Anti I

194

Biddle Anti II

197

Biddle Anti III

198

Biddle Anti IV

198

9. Pick-up

201

10. Super Oil and Water

205

11. Double Oil and Water

211

12. Flip-Flap

219

13. Two by Two

223

14. Under the Spectator’s Hand

231

15. Instantaneous and Perpendicular

235

16. The All-Red Finale

241

17. Yourself

243

18. Nauj—A Grand Climax

251

19. With the Whole Deck

259

Epilogue 269

Foreword to the Second Edition Juan Tamariz

After much time devoted to revising, correcting, analyzing, re-explaining, adding, cutting, clarifying, varying and attempting to improve the text and photographs, here, finally, is this new edition of The Magic Way. The Magic Way was the first book we published in that beautiful venture that was Editorial Frakson, along with my dear friend, the much admired writer, Ramón Mayrata.

After a number of years and several books, Ramón and I decided to branch off to our individual projects. With no time left for the heavy demands of a publishing company, we left it in the hands of Laura Avilés, who got started in this field working with us at Editorial Frakson and later continued with her own fine publishing venture, Páginas.

This road and venture of Editorial Frakson is now restored after a tenyear siesta, interrupted only by Mnemonica. Five years after that work came Verbal Magic, co-authored with Gema Navarro. Gema has been tirelessly working since then on new magical publications, while encouraging me and other authors to finish and publish our works. Jesús Etcheverry, too, has been of invaluable help to Editorial Frakson, by providing corrections and historical references.

As I mentioned, our first editorial task (Ramón’s and mine) was The Magic Way. That was twenty-seven years ago. As beginners in the field of publishing, we came up with a book that was (I believe) full of magic, but also full of typos, many typesetting mistakes and with photos out of place or inverted. We also struggled with some text set in three columns that were not accurately aligned.

Those flaws disappeared in the beautiful books that followed, such as Sonata, 52 Lovers by José Carroll, Slow Motion Magic by René Lavand, and the Spanish edition of Erdnase’s The Expert at the Card Table.

Following their publication in Spanish, some of these books appeared in English, Italian and German.

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xvi Despite all its problems, The Magic Way was incredibly well received.

The first edition sold out quickly, twenty-four years ago, and it received rave reviews (at times exaggerated, for my taste). Many magicians have told me, in person and in correspondence, that the book changed their magic and encouraged them to improve it.

That is the sole purpose of this book: to convey to the reader an enthusiastic demand for good, artistic magic, reflected in a method for analyzing, improving and composing tricks and routines.

The Method has been perceived, at times, as an excessive reminder to the reader, if anything, of the component of trickery in magic. I plead guilty for this misunderstanding. I failed to stress heavily enough that false solutions are not conveyed by focusing attention on them, but rather by preventing the spectator from even thinking of them, so that he is not distracted from his experience of magic. Rather than indicating that you don’t use your sleeves, you roll them up before the trick begins. Instead of mentioning that you don’t use extra cards or gimmicked cards, you let the spectators hold the deck before and after the trick.

With the few exceptions that every artistic rule allows, the method described in The Magic Way attempts to render unimaginable or invisible any trickery or secret resource the spectator might otherwise think of (even without him looking for them). Needless to say, The Method relies on subtlety, suggestion and a good artistic sense exercised by the performer.

It all comes down to the magician, as a good communicator and generator of emotions (see The Five Points in Magic), leading the spectator—preventing him from getting lost—directly along the only and authentic Magic Way to The Magic Rainbow, the place of the party, the imagination and the art.

Yes, sometimes a little false solution is provided, so that the spectator, on considering it and finding an evident, perhaps outrageous, solution, feels it is a wasted effort. Not wanting to get lost, confused and misdirected, he is thus discouraged from trying to find the secret. He would be losing the best of everything: the end of The Magic Way: the joyful, precious and fascinating Magic Rainbow.

That’s where we are going. Care to join us?

A Peek between The Ways: What It Took To Get from the First Edition to the Second

Inscribed title page in Pepe Domínguez’s copy of the first edition.

Juan Tamariz

xviii

In 2006, Juan begins to correct

and expand The Magic Way.

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INTRODUCTION I. THE MAGICIAN’S OBJECTIVE When a trick or routine has been carefully studied and resolved, when it has been well performed and you manage to astonish your audience, is it already perfect? Are we done working on that trick? Are we already performing magic?

I would say, not necessarily. Something may be missing. We need to know what goes on in the spectators’ minds during the course of the trick and upon its completion, and we must determine what kind of impact is produced in their minds. We should find out whether they suspect a method, even if it is not the one we employed. Besides their not knowing how we did the trick, we must prevent them from analyzing how we could have done it. In other words, they should be incapable of figuring out a solution, whether it is the right one or not.

Going even further, the spectators should not even want to figure it out. Besides being astonished, they should be dumbfounded, caught in a hallucination, feeling amazed, spellbound and totally fascinated by the mystery they have witnessed. The shock of mystery suspends any ability to analyze, as well as the desire to do so.

An Important Review The following, I believe, must be achieved: »» They should not be able to figure out how you did it: the trickery, the secret, the actual solution. »» They should not believe that any possible solution is the right one. All solutions should be rejected and regarded as impossible. »» They should not be able to analyze it in the cold light of day, because of the magical atmosphere that surrounded the trick and the emotional impact produced by the incredible, astonishing effect. »» They should not want to figure out the trick because of the sensation of wonder, joy and pleasure produced by the experience of entering and feeling immersed in The Magic Rainbow.

II. VISUAL SCHEME OF THE MAGIC WAY

I will now attempt to make a visual explanation of The Magic Way. Look at the drawing.

Illustration by Marga Nicolau.

Let’s think of the spectators’ minds as a beautiful carriage pulled by two lively horses (1). One of them advances by galloping on the ground.

That’s the logical side of the mind. The other horse is winged and flies.

That’s the imagination, fantasy, the magical desire. In the driver’s seat, reins in hand, is the spectator. Next to him, and at his invitation, we join him and lead him through The Magic Way (2), toward the magical effect (10). If he makes it there, he will feel the gorgeous flutter of mystery and

Juan Tamariz

24 5. The magician drops the coin to the floor, picks it up and secretly drops it into the cuff of his trousers (Figure 2).

2

6. The magician pretends to take the coin from the table, but actually he slides it under the coin purse or into the lap (Figures 3, 4 and 5).

3 to the lap

18. From the left hand, back into the right hand (through a pinch or clip) (Figure 15).

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15

D) It ends up in the left hand, but is not seen there.

19. Hidden at the back of the left hand (Tenkai Pinch, Figure 16; or equivalent).

16 coin

28. From the right hand with a Pull or thread, before the false transfer.

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29. From the left hand to the ear with a Pull or thread, after a real transfer when appearing to blow on the coin (Figures 24, 25 and 26) (Tamariz).

24 coin on the palm

25, 26 thread thread

30. From the right hand, after the false transfer, while stroking the hair or any other gesture, before the disappearance is revealed in the left hand (Figure 27, next page) (Tamariz).

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AN AMBITIOUS CARD ROUTINE IN SEVEN PHASES PHASE ONE Have a card freely selected and signed on its face. Have the signed selection replaced in the deck, controlling it to second from the top through a Bluff Pass, as follows.

With the deck in left-hand dealing position, riffle your left thumb about half way down the outer left corner. With your right hand, lift the riffled portion, as if to have the selection replaced on top of the lower portion, but suddenly appear to change your mind. Turn your body slightly to the left and reassemble the two portions of the deck to start again.

Again riffle off the corners and, while your right hand pretends to lift the upper portion (Figure 32),

32

it lifts only the top card. The left thumb simultaneously relaxes its pressure on the corner of the deck and moves out of the way.

The right hand moves back with its single card (supposedly a packet) and, with the backs of the

33

fingers, taps the inner end of the left hand’s portion as if to square it (Figure 33). The tap is a short and deliberate motion.

2. MIRACLE DIVINATION (à la Al Koran) EFFECT After showing a deck of cards, fronts and backs, the magician turns away from the audience. The spectator takes the deck behind his back and shuffles it thoroughly. Then he freely selects a card, looks at it, returns it to the deck and shuffles again. Keep in mind that all of this is done behind the spectator’s back and without the magician looking at or touching the cards. They have remained the entire time in the spectator’s hands.

Despite all these precautions, the magician, without looking at or handling the cards, names the selection!

SECRET This is the application of The Method of False Solutions and The Magic Way to a setup deck: in this case, an ingenious type of force deck in which six cards are repeated in a uniform sequence. “Banked decks” of this sort have been used by magicians since the eighteenth century. However, they didn’t come into popular use with magicians until Audley Walsh published his Magician’s Dream Deck in 1938 (see The Jinx, No. 43, April 1938, p. 298; also Hilliard’s Greater Magic, Carl Waring Jones: Minneapolis, p. 346). Walsh’s deck recycled a bank of twelve cards. In 1959, Al Koran marketed a variant of the Walsh deck that reduced the banks to ten cards each. The following year, “Al Koran’s Direct Mind Control” was marketed.

This used a banked deck with only six repeated cards.* Maestro Ascanio told me about this sort of deck years ago, after Fred Kaps astonished him with Walsh’s trick. It’s all among the masters, I thought.

So I decided to study the deck, and in particular Koran’s simplified version.

This is one of the better setup decks. The effect that can be achieved with it is very close to the ideal effect dreamed of by every cardman. Here is my version, with the structure improved through the application of The Method. With this effect, even when repeated a second time, I have left *Stephen Minch, who knows and loves our art so much, made me aware of this history.

3. THE MAGICAL IMPRESSION: THE SLATES I have been a professional for eighteen years and was an amateur for thirty five.* I must have performed on stage or parlor, for better or worse, hundreds of times.† If anyone asks me or the members of my lay audiences which of the tricks I have performed that has caused the greatest impact in all these years, the answer would be, in many cases, “The Slates”. I am referring to parlor or stage performances. I’ve done this piece on many TV programs, in close-up and parlor performances, and in large theaters.

When I meet a spectator months, even years later, they may remind me of the Color-Changing Knives, “El Cochecito”, “The Cannibals”, “Total Coincidence”, “Mnemonicosis”, Coins through Table, “The Four Blue Cards”, the Rising Card, “Tahuromagia” (a series of gambling sketches performed on TV with José Carroll), Los Mancos (a two-man, award-winning act with Juan Antón), The Spirit Cabinet, The Cut and Restored Handkerchief, The Haunted Deck, “The Centaurs”, The Paris Act, “La Serpiente Margarita” and a few others—but, without a doubt, one of the most frequently named effects is “The Slates”. This fact impresses me greatly.

I know it’s a very old principle: a flap. But I also know that the force I added is complex and magnificent. (Vernon is behind it. See his “Magazine Test” in The Tarbell Course in Magic, Vol. 5, 1948, Tannen: New York, p. 154.) And I know that nobody suspects the flap. I know that the trick, the Spirit Slates, when I began performing it, was already good, a classic.

I know that by adding magazines, forces and a dramatization, it got better.

I know that when I applied The Method of False Solutions and The Magic Way to it, I noticed a huge improvement in the reaction of the audience.

(By the way, it was the first trick to which I applied The Method, with José Puchol as the first witness of the result.) I now know that it is a closer for a session. I know that I love it. I hope something similar happens to you.‡ *That was in 1988. Add to it another twenty-three years for this 2014 edition. †Add another little zero. ‡ The great Michael Weber, among others, confirmed that on reading it in the first edition of this book, it became (with his own wonderful variations) one of the most powerful effects in his professional act.

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three is beautiful, isn’t it?” The 3 that will later come into view, which you drew earlier, must have a matching peculiarity. Draw a very long 4 and comment, “Not a very good four, but that’s okay.” (Figure 65) Show the four sides once again (Figure 66).

“It must be clear until the last moment. I am going to put Sides Two and Three together. As you can see, there is nothing written on them; nothing aside from the two and three.”

Clearly and slowly bring the slates together, with Side Three above Side Two. In doing this, the flap is transferred from Side Three to Side Two.* Hand them to someone—I’ll use my daughter Ana, because she’s here—and stress that she should not separate the slates and that she must make sure the piece of chalk you will put on top does not move. Ideally the spectator should hold the slates with fingers below and thumbs above, *With the slates I presently use, I need to press to unlock the flap.

an equivoque sequence, asking them to choose center or ends, and then left or right.

Hand out the three unchosen magazines and ask the

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assisting spectator, “Did you choose freely? Did anyone tell you to name this num-

68

ber as you came in?” She will assure everyone that it was a free choice.

Display the magazine by flipping through its pages (Fig­ ure 69) as you say, “There are all kinds of pages containing pictures, drawings, text.” As you reach the force page (which should be somewhere within the range of pages 10 to

69

Stretch the tension to its limit. Let strong expectation develop. Continue to turn the slate, looking intently at the spectators. Watch their reactions.

Describe a 180º arc until all have seen the drawing on the slate.

Enjoy the moment. You will see dumbfounded faces and hear gasps of astonishment. Enjoy your own enjoyment. After a pause, turn back to the

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group in the center. “Can’t you see it? Look directly at the slate. Now you do? Great, thanks!” These comments are not addressed to anyone in particular. Many will believe someone could not see the drawing and now he has.

This is another technique explained and applied by Robert-Houdin. They will think, “Is it some kind of mirage? Is it suggestion? What’s going on?”

Pause to let the effect settle in.

The slate with flap in your left hand is now being held low, near your knees, hanging from your relaxed left arm. No one will pay attention to it.

Bring the slate with the drawing next to the drawing in the magazine (Figure 78). Then go near a spectator in the first row and ask, “Is it real chalk? It writes and then it can be erased right? Yes, touch it.” Leave the slate in his hands so that he can run his hand over the drawing, smear it and get chalk dust on his fingers.

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II. TAMARIZ’S OIL AND WATER

As for the virtues of this version, I would like to lend my pen to the much missed and admired Fred Robinson, a British magician of exceptional skill who was the editor of Pabular. In 1977, in that magazine, he wrote a concise and very clear introduction to this routine: The Oil and Water theme is undoubtedly a good one. A simple plot easily understood by audiences, not technically difficult to perform has made it a popular item with cardmen. Inevitably this has resulted in numerous variations of methods being devised, many of which have appeared in print, and so providing valuable study material for those wishing to present this effect.

Finding a method which fulfills one’s own requirements is only the first step. There still remains the more important one, an entertaining presentation* to lift it out of the puzzle class into an effect having a strong magical impact.

Those who have seen Juan Tamariz perform this effect will have seen it presented in a manner which creates the impression that one has seen something truly magical. On reading the explanation they will probably be surprised to find nothing particularly new in the methods used and therefore conclude that the originator’s success with this particular effect is due to his particular style of performance which is lively and slightly more theatrical than that of the average performer. This is obviously true to some extent and applies to any trick with which a performer is successful, but underlying the particular style of Tamariz there is the real secret which enables him to make the Oil and Water [effect] seem to be really magical...the use of misdirection using both speech and action[, which] can be applied by anyone regardless of their style of presentation.†

After these excessively generous words by Mr. Robinson, let’s plunge into the details of the routine. *I understand presentation in this context to mean dramatization and emotional structure.— j. t. †I believe he refers to mental and sometimes physical misdirection.— j. t.

A LITTLE INTRODUCTION Look in your pocket or around your performing area for a little piece of thread, fluff or a tiny wad of paper, and leave it, without calling attention to it in Zone D, as indicated in Figure 79.

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79

“Do you know what happens when you mix oil and water, and then let them sit?” Pause.

That opening, non-magical question is used to arouse interest and focus attention.

If you are carrying a small container of oil and water, as mentioned above, bring it out, shake it and let it sit (Figure 80).

The oil separates from the water and rises (Figure 81).

“They unmix and the oil rises...” The container serves to visually convey what the effect is about, arousing curiosity. It makes the effect easy to remember and to recall later.

80, 81

CONFIRMATION OF THE ELEMENTS Approach the table. Bring your left hand palm down over the black cards and pick them up by the sides, using your fingertips to square them. Turn the hand palm up and let the packet of black cards drop face down onto the palm. Leave your fingers extended. “Four black cards...”

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With your right hand, square the red cards and pick them up at their right side, pinched between the thumb, on top, and fingers, below (Figure 89). “...and four red cards.”

Move the right hand with the red cards to Zone D, as if to leave them there; but before doing so, you appear to notice the bit of fluff (or thread, or whatever). The right hand, to free itself to clear away the fluff, turns its red cards face down onto the black ones in the left hand. The right hand then picks up the fluff (Figure 90) and tosses it away. “Everything very clean.”

90

Turning the packet onto the left hand’s cards is an in-transit action, covered by the innocent but motivated action of picking up the fluff. We continue with Vernon and Ascanio.

Bring your right hand back to your left hand and take the top card of the packet, fingers above and thumb below (Figure 91, next page).

Turn that card over and drop it from a height of about two inches, face up, on D. “One...”

Juan Tamariz

126 The spectators complete your thought: “Black card.”

Here you say the false word “a”, but the spectators, by completing the thought themselves, take it for granted. “A black card” is only half true.

Looking at the spectators and making them feel observed divides their attention and eliminates the danger of them detecting that you are handling two cards as one.

“The last card...”

Now comes an important moment. During it, three coordinated actions occur: 1. Your right hand picks up the last red card from D and lifts it, bringing it slightly forward, with its front end tilted down, to allow the spectators to see its face.

105

Juan Tamariz

128 from the cards as you explain, “Now the cards are alternated by their colors and well interlocked, one by one, like this: red, black, red, black...”

Weave your fingers together (Figure 107).

107

Hold your hands with their backs toward the audience, at chest level, and leave a slight separation between your elbows and your body. Observe that the thumbs can barely be seen. Also, the fingers are interlocked for only about half their length. This visually translates to the idea that the cards are not completely squared. You’ll see.

This is an explanatory gesture that I believe I learned from Ascanio.

I have tried to use it in a dramatic way, to make the effect clearer, more visual and memorable.

With your fingers still interlocked, look at the packet and say, “But the cards are not perfectly squared. I’ll square them up.”

Separate your hands and turn the palms toward the audience, fingers pointing up. Lean slightly forward.

Bring your hands over the table edge nearest you. Don’t look away from your hands. Rest the first two fingertips of each hand on the table (Figure 108) and begin to “walk” your fingers toward the pile of cards.

Once there, square the pile, sliding both forefingers back along the ends of the cards and the thumbs from the center of the near side to their respective corners (Figure 109). “Slowly and clearly—Ding, ding! Ding, ding!”

Juan Tamariz

146 Move your left hand toward the pile of cards and stop about twenty inches away from it. Look at your helper and slap the back of your left hand again (Figure 128).

“No! If I touch...Since you shuffled and squared them yourself, it’s better that you show with absolute clarity that the miracle has taken place again.” Pronounce the word “shuffled” quickly, without emphasis

128

The Magic Way 149

131

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III. ORIGINAL METHODS FOR OIL AND WATER A consequence of the application of The Method of False Solutions and The Magic Way: the invention of new methods and ways of performing the trick.

The following methods for Oil and Water are original with me. I would like to point out that the important thing is not to invent a thousand methods, but to study, analyze, care for and master two, three or four among them, from which you can build a routine that gets gradually stronger as the effect is repeated (without overdoing it!) and that gives spectators an impression of having witnessed a feat of magic.

The purpose of describing these methods is to show you how helpful The Method of False Solutions and The Magic Way can be for the invention and discovery of new ways to perform an effect. May they be of value in encouraging your own interest and creativity.

These methods are different. I know there could be more, but as a sample, they are more than enough.* I will describe them in the order they occurred while applying The Method to the Oil and Water effect. The classifying letters and numbers correspond to this study.

*I am revising and updating for this second edition. It’s been twenty-seven years since the first Spanish edition. Through these years, I have continued to think, and to apply The Method of False Solutions and The Magic Way, and to devise new and different handlings and methods for this effect. I have around fifty original methods. This doesn’t indicate great creativity, as some might think, but only that the system is very fertile and that I devote a lot of time and effort to our beloved art.

3. STRIPPERS II

Solution B-4: The colors were mixed and secretly separated.

Begin as described in “Strippers I”, arranging a fan of eight cards, with the colors and their tapers alternated, wide ends of the red cards at the bottom. Close the fan and continue as follows.

Turn the eight cards over sideways and face down in the left hand, keeping the wide ends of the red cards at the near end.

With your right hand, turn the top card sideways and face up as you say, “A black card on top...” Then turn it end over end and face down, bringing its wide end inward.

With your right hand, grasp the packet by the edges, at its upper end, and turn the hand to expose the red card at the face. “...and a red card on the bottom, of course.”

Turn the back of the right hand again toward the audience, and grip the lower end of the packet by its edges in your left hand.

With your right thumb and little finger, press on the opposite outer edges of the packet. You will now secretly strip out the three reversed black cards (Figure 142) while appearing to tap the packet square.

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5. LONGITUDINAL TENKAI

Solution B-5: The colors are secretly separated upon turning the packet over.

This version may be performed standing and in parlor conditions. It’s simple and direct, and it may be performed to music, without speaking.

Genuinely alternate four red cards with four blacks in a fanned formation, with the red cards upjogged. Display the cards in this arrangement (Figure 152).

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Lower the hands, bringing the fan face down. Close the fan and secretly push the top red card square with the four black cards. Three red cards are left outjogged.

Push in the three red cards, as if squaring them with the others (Figure 153, next page), but secretly execute the Tamariz Perpendicular Control.* With your left hand, push forward the cards that have been pivoted ninety degrees, bringing them even with the outer end of the packet. As you complete this adjustment, place the outer pad of the right thumb on *See pp. 58–9, Figures 37–42, which show the sequence of the Tamariz Perpendicular Control.

6. BIDDLE—UNDER THE TABLE ENDING

Solution B-7: The colors were mixed and secretly separated while showing their alternation.

This is my ending—one that delivers great impact, I believe—for the classic version of Oil and Water in which the Kardyro-Biddle Steal is used.

EFFECT Four red cards and four black cards are shown with their colors alternated. The magician sets them down and puts his empty hand under the table. He now achieves two things when he hits the cards firmly with the other hand. First, he hurts his hand if he hits the table too hard. Second, the cards are separated by color through the table.

He brings his hand from under the table. It holds the four red cards.

The hurt hand then spreads the four cards left on the table, and they are, as they must be, all the blacks.

The second result will cause the audience to applaud. The first will get you some care, creams and bandages from the doctor. And all this will make you stop reading if I continue this way, so let’s move on.

PROCEDURE Let’s continue to work with eight cards, four red and four black, with the colors alternated and a red card on the face. Hold the packet face up from above in the right hand, thumb at the inner end and middle finger at the outer end (Figure 160).

Rest your left thumb on the face of the packet and position the left fingers underneath. With this thumb, draw the first card (red) off the packet and onto the

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11. DOUBLE OIL AND WATER

Solution D-10: The faces of certain cards change through the use of double-faced and double-backed cards.

I created this method to achieve a somewhat different effect.

EFFECT Four face-up red cards and four face-down black cards are alternated. There is, therefore, a double alternation: faces with backs, and reds with blacks.

With no secret maneuvers, the four red cards separate from the four blacks. The alternation of faces and backs make the effect much more visual.

REQUISITES Two double-backed cards.

Two high-value, spot, red/black, double-faced cards.

Two regular red, high-value spot cards.

Two regular black, high-value spot cards.

PREPARATION Lay the two regular black cards in a face-up pile. On top of these, put the two double-faced cards, with their black faces up. On these place the two double-backed cards, then the two regular red cards, face up (Figure 187).

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When you are ready to make the colors separate, run your right thumb over the faces of the cards (Figure 201), pushing the corners back toward you to release the flaps and let them close.

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201

This action causes an instant, visual separation (Figure 202). It is quite amazing.

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The state in which the author was found after finishing the first edition of this book.