card marking

8/10/2019 Card Marking

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The PM Card Mark System

Plus Assorted Miracles

by Pete McCabe

No drawingskill required

if you can write, you

can mark a deck.

80+ pages ofeasy-to-follow

instructions

and great tricks

Mark your own Bicycle deck with a Sharpie.

Copyright 2010 Pete McCabe

Version 1.1 Copyright 2011 Pete McCabe


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Contents

The PM Card Mark System 4

References

5

Materials Required

6Understanding the System 7Drawing the Marks

8Key Card

12Card Case 13

Assorted Miracles 14

Stop Sign 15Core Meltdown

17Three Simple Miracles 22Simple Miracle 1 23

Simple Miracle 2

25Simple Miracle 3

26The Rule of Three Prediction

28Perfect Prediction

31Seven Shuffles

33Markus Maximus 36Watchman

40The Genies Peek 43

Nothing But Script

45

Echoes 46

The Cincinnati Kid

52My Favorite Things

55

Added to Existing Tricks 59

The Tapping Card Location

60The Mind Mirror 62Two of a Kind

65First Incantation

67Twin Prediction 71

Stacking the Deck 73

Simple Miracle 4

74Love Connection

76The In-Deck Index Plus Miracles 78The Remembered Deck 80Sylvania

81

Last Word 82

Click any trick name to go to that page.

Downloaded from www.vanishingincmagic.com by Felipe Go


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Also by Pete McCabe

Scripting Magic

Astonishing New Twists with Paul Harris Reality Twister Featuring Lubors Lens

Web Test

Pizza Every Day for a Month

Bowling Every Day for a Month

Thanks to

Bob Farmer and Richard Kaufman for their contributions.

Rick Cowley for proofreading.

Shawn McMaster for proofreading.

Bill Goodwin for everything else.

Everything I do is dedicated to

Pattie, Monty, and Robby.



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The PM Card Mark System

The PM Card Mark System is an easy card-marking system that you can apply to a

Bicycle Rider-back deck in minutes, for just pennies. Ive been using it for twelve yearsnow. It works.

In this book/pdf/ebook/ibook/epub/torrent, youll learn how to put the PM Card

Mark System to work for you. Youll learn to mark your own decks quickly and easily.

Youll learn some great tricks using your new marked deck, many of which are

coincidentally dead easy to do. I have some ideas for using your marked deck to

strengthen tricks you already do, and a section on ways to use a PM-marked deck inmemorized order to create absolute miracles.

Youll SeeThe PM Card Mark System is the only one I know that has these three features:

Mark it yourself with a Sharpie

Value and suit are written in easy-to-read numbers and letters

Marks can be read from a deck spread between your hands

For many years I worked on a way to mark a deck of cards to meet these criteria, and

twelve years ago I came up with the system youre about to read. Now I mark every

deck I use. It takes about 15 minutes and is incredibly powerful.

Just try it once. Tonight, spend a half hour less online in a magic forum, and use that

time to mark a deck of cards. See if you dont fool the hell out of everybody.

Update v1.1

This is version 1.1 of this book, which means that it has a couple of new tricks and the

occasional new idea for an existing trick. If youve already read it and are just looking

for the new stuff, do a find for Update v1.1

Or, read the whole thing again. You never know when a trick that you skipped over thefirst will look better the second time around.



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References

The first card mark system I used in any meaningful way was Bob Farmers Farmarx

system, which uses a Sharpie to its a little tricky to explain, because some of the

marks work differently than others. But basically you change part of the back design tocreate shapes that indicate the numbers and letters of the values and suits. I used the

Farmarx system for years and it was the thing that convinced me to put in the time to

create my own system.

My primary goal was to move the marks closer to the corner so you could read them

from a spread. But I was also influenced by Ted Lesleys system, which was the second I

used. Teds is the easiest to readit puts the suit and value right on the cardbut

ultimately, it was too expensive for me to use it all the time. My system was created to

do the same basic thing, but in a way that I could put on myself with a Sharpie.

I have since learned that the idea of putting the suit and value right on the card was first

published by Al Baker as The Baker Readers in Pet Secrets (1951). I also learned that

the basic idea of creating the marks by modifying the cards existing back design was

also Bakers. He drew white lines by scratching away the ink with the pointed corner of

a razor blade. If only he had a Sharpie.

Ive also since learned that Harry Risers Marking System in The Feints and Temps of

Harry Riseruses an ultrafine Sharpie to block out certain white parts of the design of the

Bicycle back, so it resembles the index of the card. Thanks to Bill Goodwin for bringing

this to my attention. Feints and Tempsalso has a couple of great marked-card tricks toadd to your arsenal.



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Materials Required

A deck of cards

The PM System is designed for Bicycle Rider Back cards and is specific to that brand.

Once you get the idea, you should be able to apply it to many other brands (although Idoubt youll be able to make it work with Bee-backed cards).

An ultrafine Sharpie

You can use a standard blue Sharpie for a blue deck. I used that for years; its not a

perfect match but it works. Fortunately, a few years ago Sharpie introduced a rainbow

of new colors, and the Navy colored Sharpie is the exact color of blue Bicycle cards.

You may have to go to an art supply store if your local Office Depot doesnt carry them,

or just go to officedepot.com. Get a couple.

The standard red Sharpie is a perfect match for red-backed Bicycles.

A comfortable chair

Use one that allows you to work comfortably leaning forward.

A desk or other clean working surface

Clear yourself a little extra space the first couple of times you mark a deck.

A good light

Dont underestimate the value of good light, especially iflike meyou mark your

decks at night, after everyone else in your family has gone to sleep. The marks are of

necessity small, and applying them in dim light adds unnecessary stress on your eyes. Ican mark a complete deck in about twenty minutes, but its twenty minutes of fairly

close work. A comfortable, well-lit working environment makes everything easier.



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Understanding the System

The first step in putting this marking system to work for you is

to look at the angel, in the upper left corner of the standard

Bicycle back design.

All your marks are going to be written in this area. The value

of the card will be written in the body of the angel, while thesuit is written in the swoopy white thing under the

angel.

Okay, lets have a look at the mark for the

Ace of Spades. Ill explain how to draw the marks in a bit: for nowlets just have a look inside the two white circles. The A is on a bit

of an angle, but even at a glance the A and S are immediatelyobvious and easily readable.

Heres the King of Clubs. Again, both K and C are very easily

readable.

Reference Points

Now that you know what youre looking for, have another look at

the unmarked angel above. See the line formed between the crook

of the right elbow and the armpit? Believe it or not, that line is the

key to the whole system. Im going to call it the arm line, and Im going to call it that alot.

The next most commonly mentioned reference point will be the angels nipples. I swear

you will never hear angels nipples mentioned so many times in your life, but theyre an

integral part of the system.

Just remember that when I say the left nipple, I mean the angels left, so its the one to

the right from your perspective.

Between the arm line and the nipples, youre good to go.



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Drawing the Marks

These instructions for drawing the marks might seem unnecessarily detailed. In fact,

they have been called insane by a magician you and I both respect greatly. You

probably dont need them. If you can draw, you can just look at the marks andreproduce them, probably even better than I made them. If you cant draw, like me, then

you hate people like that. But you can still just look at the pictures and copy them.

Youre not making art, just a readable mark. So feel free to skip ahead.

The most important tip by far is: get into a routine. Put the deck on your table face up.

Take the top card and put it on the table face down. Mark it, then stack it face down

next to the (face up) deck. Doing this consistently will greatly reduce the number of

times you will put the wrong suit on the back of a card.

By the way, if you do mis-mark a card, immediately tear it in half, or maybe practiceyour Mercury Fold with it. Dont take the chance of it getting into your deck.

When youre done, double-check the marks on every card, at both ends. You arent

finished marking the deck until you have checked every mark on every card.

Reference Card

Heres a picture of the angel again. Take a moment to notice the following details, all of

which will be mentioned in the instructions that follow.

Suits are drawn in the swoopy thing that covers the angels lower half. Im going to call

it the swoopy thing. There are no parts. Its just the swoopy thing.

the left end

of the arm line

the elbow of

the arm line

the left nipple

the right nipple

the right

collarbone

the leftcollarbone

the place where

the right breast

line intersectsthe arm line

the point of

the shoulder



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Ace

Draw a line from the left nipple, through the right nipple,

down to the point of the right shoulder.

Draw a line from the left nipple, straight down through the

elbow of the arm line and across the arm.Draw a line between the first two lines, filling in the arm line,making it more even.

Two

Starting from the elbow of the arm line and moving left, drawthe curved bottom of the two.

Going up from the left side of the curve, make the hook top.

Three

First a straight line across from the middle of the neck to the

left nipple.

Then a straight line from the left nipple down to the left end of

the arm line.

Finally a curve that starts along the arm line and then curves

back under.

Four

First a line straight down through the left collarbone to justpast the left end of the arm line

Then a line straight down from the left nipple till it touches the

solid blue under the arm.

Finally a line connecting the two vertical lines, filling in the

arm line.

Five

Start with a short vertical line, from the end of the arm line, up

until youre level with the left nipple.Now a short horizontal line from the top of the first line to the

left nipple.

Finally a curve that starts along the arm line and then curvesback under. This is the same as the bottom of the three.



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Six

First, draw a small circle that starts at the elbow of the arm line,

sweeps left with the arm line, then curves down and circles

back around.

Now, starting at the left nipple, draw a curve that swoops

down through the right nipple and merges with the left/

bottom of the circle. Nipple nipple nipple! Sorry, I sorry.

Seven

A horizontal line from the right collarbone to the left nipple.

The line should just touch the nipple.

Diagonal line from the left nipple, through the place where the

right breast line intersects the arm line, across the arm.

This is a European 7 with the line across the stem.

Eight

Draw a circle that starts at the elbow of the arm line, sweeps

left with the arm line, then curves down and circles back

aroundlike youre starting a six.

Draw a duplicate circle above the first one. Try to incorporate

the breast line. For Gods sake dont stare at it.

NineThe right breast is a quarter circle. Draw in the complete circle.

Draw a vertical line that just touches the rightmost point of the

circle, down across the arm to the solid blue. Note that the

vertical line doesnt blend into the circle; the left edge of thevertical line just touches the right edge of the circle.

Ten

Draw a line from the left nipple, through the place where the

right breast intersects the arm line, across the arm to solid blue.Draw a line that thickens and extends the left half of the arm

line all the way to solid blue on both ends.

Youve just drawn an X, a Roman numeral 10. The idea of

using X for 10 goes all the way back to Al Baker.



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Jack

Start by making a shallow u-shaped curve along the arm line.

Then a vertical line through the left nipple.

Horizontal line on top goes across into the angels left arm.

Queen

All youll be drawing is an oval. It starts where the right breast

intersects the arm line, and goes up, following the right breast.

It sweeps around, not touching solid blue anywhere, and

comes back to the intersection where it started. The arm line

makes the tail of the Q.

KingVertical line from the left collarbone, through the end of the

arm line, across the arm to the blue background.

Diagonal line from the left nipple to the end of the arm line.

Diagonal line that thickens the arm line then continues across

the arm.

Clubs

Your c can touch the right edge of the swoopy thing at the

bottom right, but not at the middle left or at the top right.

Diamonds

Make an uppercase D, and make sure the left straight side is

straight.

Hearts

Lowercase h. The single line sticking up is an important visual

cue for your eye.

Spades

S. Meh. Its an s. Dont touch the edges of the swoopy thing.



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Key Card

The last step is to corner mark the Three of Clubs. Heres how:

The Rider back design has a thin white border that runs all the wayaround the inside of the blue rectangular background. Fill in this line at

the corner. Do all four corners.

It may seem like overkill to mark a key card in a marked deck, but they really provide

different functions and work extremely well together. This simple mark can be spotted

in any spread much more quickly than a single card can be identified, and can be

detected from a greater distance than the marks themselves. A lot of tricks get much

easier or cleaner or stronger with just this simple mark on one card.

While were at it, put a breather crimp in the card. It cant hurt, and quite often it makes

real miracles possible. Most breathers Ive seen are made with the thumbs on the back

of the card, so the crimped card will cut to the bottom. I want to cut the key card to thetop of the deck, so I can see the corner mark and know where it is. So I make the

breather with the thumbs on the face of the card.

Even if you decide that this marking system is too much work, dont overlook the value

of having this simple key card in your deck. If I go to somebodys house, and theres a

deck of cards, Ill corner mark the Three of Clubs with a ball-point-pen.



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Card Case

When you are done marking a deck, the last step is to mark the card case. I mark every

deck I use, but sometimes Ill open a deck without marking it. So its pretty handy to be

sure, before you even pick up the case, that the cards inside are marked.

What I do is apply the key card mark to the image of the back design on the cardcase.

Just fill in the four corners and youre good to go.



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Assorted Miracles

Like any magical method, a marked deck is only valuable if there are extremely strong

tricks that use it. Fortunately, there are. Some of them are in this section right here.

The value of the following tricks is that they are great tricks, well constructed. They are

clean, direct, miraculous. What they arent is big original ideas; I use proven techniques

combined and adapted to the capabilities of the marking system. So what the following

may lack in novelty, they more than make up in directness and power.

What else?

Carl Ballantine used to levitate the lid off a basket, then take an oversized scissors and

cut the invisible thread that had been holding it up, whereupon it would fall to the

stage. He looked up at the audience with a shrug and asked, how else?

There are a lot of magic tricks that suffer when considered from this perspective, and it

is an especially important consideration when using marked cards. Almost everyone

who has heard of playing cards has heard of marked cards. So if you do any trick with a

marked deck, you want to keep the audience from thinking that a marked deck may

have been involved. The best way is to combine the marked deck with another secreta

gaff, sleight of hand, or some other secret principalso that the audience wont even

consider a marked deck, because a marked deck wouldnt explain anything.

Each of the routines in this book uses some other secret in combination with the markeddeck. The secret may be an additional gaff, or a sleight, or a principle, or even, as well

see, just a compelling presentation. But there is always something to keep the idea of the

marked deck from even coming up.

Who is Alex?

When I wrote Scripting Magic I used some standard names for spectators. Lee was

anyone on your left, Chris was in the center, and Ricky was on the right. If the trick

required a couple, the woman was Eve and the man was Adam. The most common

name was Alex, which indicated anyone, either gender, sitting anywhere.

When I started writing this book I figured I wouldnt bother with this, especially since

all I would require is Alex. But in writing up the descriptions it quickly became very

awkward to write the spectator all the time. So every time theres a spectator, Im

going to call him or her Alex.

Alex. Remember that name.



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Stop Sign

This is a severely clean version of the classic stop trick. You never touch the deck and

most of the trick can be done with your back turned.

No Setup

Alex shuffles the deck and tables it. While this happens, make a show of warming up

your mind-reading sensitivity. When Alex stops shuffling, say I knew you were going

to stop there. Im warming up. Rub your temples with your thumbs, as though this

were difficult work, and while your hand shields your eyes, read the top card.

Turn away. If you are not sure of Alexs ability to correctly interpret your instructions, it

may be better to move a small distance away, so it is clear that you cannot see the cards,

but you can watch Alex and make sure your instructions are followed.

Have Alex pick up the deck, saying Deal cards one at a time into a neat pile on the

table. Stop dealing any time when you have a card in your hand. Alex looks at this

card, memorizes it, and puts it back on the deck. The pile from the table is put on top

and the deck is tabled. Have Alex cut the deck, then cut it again.

Now Alex picks up the deck and begins dealing cards from the top, face up, saying the

name of every card. Please do not give anything away when you reach your card, just

keep reading.

Listen for the card you saw on top of the deck. The next card is the selectionyou cansay stop right when Alex names it.

Or

Let Alex go two cards past the selection, and say Wait a minuteyou just said it. I

didnt notice your voice change when you said it, but I noticed when it changed back.

Repeat the last three cards.

When Alex repeats the selected card, thats when you say Stop! Thats your card, the

three of whatever. Clubs! The three of Clubs!

NotesThe idea of this script is that I am hearing something in Alexs voice. So at the end, I

dont even know what card it is, because I wasnt paying attention to whatwas being

said, only how.

This is just one possible presentation. Stop Sign is one of those useful tricks where the

script is entirely separate from the method. You have to talk Alex through the process,



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but the magical power you are demonstrating can be many things. And you are very

free to add details to that powerto make it more specific, thus more realwithout

worrying that the method wont support them.

I think this is because the underlying methodsmarked cards and the key-card

principleare both very basic. By this I dont mean simple, I mean fundamental. Theyare more powerful because they are at the base. In many ways the most basic

assumption about playing cards is that you can not identify them from the back. That is

the basis of all real-world uses of playing cards.

Basic methods make it easy to develop presentations. The fewer requirements your

method imposes on what you say, the freer you are to say what you want. I like that.



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would ever suspect you were reading the marks on the back of the cards. Your script

can cover both objectives.

Alex1, in a second youre going to have to make a choice. I cannot influence you, it

would invalidate everything, so I will not even look you in the face. (Look down, and

start dealing.) But everybody else can watch, as you do your psychic warmup, so youcan make a quick decision. What would a psychic warmup look like, anyway? Show us.

Remember, you must not think. Can you do that?

This script justifies your looking down, but more importantly, it allows Alex1 to join in

the fun of the show in a non-threatening manner, which absolutely commands

attention. Often, while you are looking down, everyone else will laugh at some funny

face Alex1 makes, which is a chance for you to say that you wish you could look, which

will get a laugh while making a memorable reminder of the fairness of the trick. You

end by asking if Alex1 can answer immediately, so you can play off of how fast Alex1

answers this question.

At some point along the way, you will see the named card. Deal it slightly jogged to the

right. Try to remember about how far down it is. Definitely remember what pile its in.

This is the hardest part of the trick, by the waydelivering this short speech in a

natural way while also reading the marks of every card. One thing that helps is to deal

carefully, keeping both piles square. This very naturally motivates going at a slower

pace. But what really helps is practicing this skill. Name any card, then deal the deck

into two piles, delivering your speech. It makes no difference whether you memorize

the script or improvise it every timeto do it effectively takes practice. How much? As

much as you practice any sleight-of-hand sequence.

When you are ready, turn your head towards Alex1 and say Ready? Immediately, now

left or right?

If Alex1 says Left, you say Left! and pick up the pile that contains the selection. If

Alex1 says Right, you say Right! and pick up the pile that contains the selection. In

other words, no matter what Alex1 says, you repeat it, then pick up the pile you want.

The deception works two waysyou dont say if you mean your right or their right,

and you dont say if youre going to eliminate or use the one they say.

In equivoque, I believe, clever wording is nice, but what matters most is that you act as

though you are simply executing the standard process of elimination, based on what

Alex1 says. You dont have to act, really. In fact, dont act. Just repeat what they said to

no one in particular, and pick up the packet.



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While you are picking up the packet, get a break over (or under) the selection.

Take the 26 eliminated cards and hand them to Alex1. Here, you voted these off the

island, make sure the Three of Clubs isnt in there. While Alex1 is doing this, you begin

dealing the 26 cards into two piles, one in front of you and the other in front of Alex2.

This time you know exactly when the selection will come, so you can note which pileits in, and rightjog it, without paying attention to the dealing at all. Dont look at Alex2,

but look sideways at other people; this is at least a little funny and extremely disarming.

At some point Alex1 will confirm that the Three of Clubs was not eliminatedreact to

that, youre impressed.

Turn back to Alex2. Alex2, you have the next choice. Are you ready? Again you have

a chance to discuss the immediacyor lack thereofof Alex2s reply.

When Alex2 is ready you say quickly: front or back? Whatever Alex2 says, you pick

up the pile with the selection, regaining the break. Hand Alex2 the eliminated pile tocheck, and turn to Alex3. Tell Alex2 to make sure you didnt eliminate the Three of

Clubs. The same two-layer deception as in the first choice works for you here as well.

Tell Alex3 to do a quick psychic warm up as you deal out the 13 cards. Notice that each

time you deal, its only half the time of the previous deal, so you have less and less time

to prep each spectator for their psychic warmup. This natural rhythm is a very powerful

thing, by the way. Ask Alex3 to pick up either packet; if it has the selection, continue by

saying and hand it to me. If it doesnt have the selection, nod, then pick up the other

packet.

Either way, turn and ask Alex4 to hold out both hands, and then, as an aside, remind

Alex3 to make sure you didnt chop the Three of Clubs. Deal your cardseither 7 or

6, depending on which pile the selection ended up ininto Alex4s hands. Start dealing

at normal speed, but speak fast, saying Alex4 you need to warm-up quickly, because

important decisions come upon you in life when you least expect it, and put down one

group of cards! Again, if the selection is put down, you pick up that packet. If Alex4

holds the selection, nod, and reach out for the packet.

When you turn to Alex5 you are left with either three (usually) or four cards, depending

on the selections in the previous two stages.

For three cards I use the following, which I believe was Annemanns preferred

procedure. Hand all three to Alex5 and say Quickly, hand me back any two. If Alex5

keeps the selection, you say You eliminate these two. If they are not the Three of

Clubs turn them both over, then direct Alex5 to turn over the card in her hand to

climax the miracle. If you get the selection, nod at the card Alex5 is holding and say



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eliminate that one, turn it over. Alex5 does; its not the Three of Clubs. Now take one

from me. If Alex5 takes the selection, you wave the card you are holding and say

eliminate this one, show that it is not the Three of Clubs, and toss it to the table. Keep

staring at the card in Alex5s hand until it is revealed, then lead the reaction. If Alex5

leaves the selection in your hand, nod at the card Alex5 is holding and say eliminatethat one, turn it over. Wait until Alex5 does so, then look at the card in your hand,

smile, and reveal the miracle.

For four cards I use a sequence from Gary Ouellets book Close Up Illusions. Pick them

up, mix them around until the selection is third from top, then spread the four. Pick up

the first finger of your right hand and touch any card Usually Alex5 will touch theselection (second from your left), in which case say We eliminate these last three, turn

them over, and conclude as above. If Alex5 doesnt touch the selection, just continue

and with the first finger of your left hand, touch any card. Now at this point if Alex5 is

touching the selection, you eliminate the two cards not being touched. Otherwise youeliminate the two cards being touched. At this point in the routine you are basically just

mumbling eliminate those, like its not necessary to repeat but youre just saying it for

completeness sake. Either way there are two cards left. Hold one in each hand and say

take one of these. If Alex5 takes the selection, you turn your card over and toss it on

the table, saying eliminate this one. If you are still holding the selection, nod at the

card in Alex5s hand, say eliminate that one, and then reveal the miracle.

Whew!

One of the things that is difficult to convey in print is how energetic the equivoque part

of this process is. Every deal is twice as fast as the one before, so the pacing is built intothe routine. And each selection spins off a side eddy of activity as the eliminated pile is

searched andstill good so far!doesnt have the Three of Clubs. The drama builds

automatically and people cant help but get swept up in it. When the final card is turned

over, the release of tension is tremendous.

Variations

If you are doing the trick for fewer than 5 people, some of the people are going to have

to make more than one choice, both in selecting a card and in the elimination phase.

With two people you can just have one pick a suit and the other a value. I will leave it to

you to adapt to any number between 2 and 5. But I will say this: make the selectionprocess conversational. Talk to the people about the choices they make. Talk to them

about whether they choose to shuffle or cut the cards, and how they shuffle. Ask if they

play cards. Talk with them. This trick has tremendous potential for you to interact with

the audience. Thats one of the strongest features of the trick. That plus the fact that itsa miracle.



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At several points you pick up half the deck, obtaining or reestablishing a break over the

selection. You can eliminate the need to reestablish the break by the simple expedient of

not squaring up the cards. Just pick up the partially unsquared packet, and deal without

squaring. If you try this youll see that it looks very fair.

Ace Proofreader Rich Cowley suggests corner crimping the selection when you locate it,so you can keep track of it and grab your breaks more easily.

Credits

As mentioned, this was inspired by Pit Hartlings The Core, which uses a different

method. You can download the video of Pits trick at www.vanishingincmagic.com, or

read it in Steve Beams Semi-Automatic Card Tricks Volume 7.

http://www.vanishingincmagic.com/http://www.vanishingincmagic.com/


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Three Simple Miracles

This is a trio of closely related applications of a marked deck to one of the very best and

most powerful things you can do with a deck of cards. In effect, Alex freely chooses a

card, and you divine it. The reality is almost exactly that clean.

This basic effect is the first trick you might think of for your new marked deck. But if

you dont do it carefully, its pretty easy for your audience to come up with the verysame idea. For example, if you just have people choose a card from a spread, and you

read the back, and divine the card, it wont take too long before somebody says Aw,

those must be marked cards.

Because of the way these tricks are done, a marked deck will not occur to youraudience, since it wouldnt explain anything. In fact, in all of these tricks there is a

moment where you can mention that some people will think you are using a markeddeck, specifically to cancel that method.

Any of these tricks can be done by itself or in combination with other tricks, but they are

written to do all three in a row. They are just different enough that they can bepresented as demonstrating the same psychic power under increasingly strict

conditions.



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Simple Miracle 1

This is very possibly the best trick in the book. The effect on the audience is very strong.

The handling is incredibly clean and it looks very much exactly like what real

mentalism would look like.

I mention this because it does not read like the great secret in magic youve been

looking for. Just try it.

Setup

Start with your key card Three of Clubs on top.

Go

Shuffle if you like, keeping the key card on top. Or you can shuffle freely and then at the

end, cut at the breather crimp to bring it to the top. Either way its very easy to shufflecasually, completely disarming, and end up with the Three of Clubs on top.

Put the deck on the table and ask Alex to cut off any number of cards and hold them

together. Alex now looks at the face card of the cut off packet (i.e. the cut-to card) and

remembers it. Alex cuts the packet, and then lifts up some of the cards still on the tableto bury the packet in the middle. You can turn your back for some or all of this

procedure, but just keep in mind that if Alex doesnt follow your instructions, the trick

wont work.

At this point you recap how extremely fair that selection and return process was, and itsure was. The selection was completely free, and it is well and truly lostneither you

nor Alex have any idea where in the deck it is.

But theres one thing you do know: you know that it is directly above your key card.

The Three of Clubs starts on top. Alex cuts off a packet, which has the Three of Clubs on

top, and remembers the bottom card. When this packet is cut, the selection ends updirectly over the key.

You are now going to read the marks in the context of a completely natural action,

which the spectators will not remember as part of the process at all. What happens is,

while you are talking about how fair that selection process was, you pick up the deck.

A lot of magicians, when you pick a card, they spread the deck, and here you pick upand spread the deck, and some of them can make you pick a certain card. But you cut

anywhere, you continue, as you retable the deck, so I couldnt possibly force you.

To the audience, this little interlude is nothing more than an illustration of an alternate

process thatwasnt used in this trick. So no one remembers it.



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But its actually the method. Because when you spread the deck, you find the key card,

and then you read the mark of the card just above the key. Take your time and dont

stare. Spread until you catch a glimpse of the key, then look up to the spectator as you

are talking. Now, as you mention that other magicians can make you pick a certain

card, look back at the deck as you take the card above the key and outjog it, as thoughpretend-forcing it on the spectator. Put the deck down, making a point of having your

hands off it when you get to the words so I couldnt possibly force you.

Now you read Alexs mind. I hate to tell you, after this dead easy method, that this is by

far the hardest part of the trick. If you can make it seem that you are reading Alexs

mind, the trick will be a miracle. If it seems like you somehow knew the card, that willbe a great trick. But not a miracle. So its worth practicing pretending that you are

reading someones mind.

Variation

A simple variation of the selection process is to hand the deck to the spectator and have

them pull any card out of the middle, memorize it, drop it on top, and then cut the deck.

I dont like this as much because I think that no matter how clearly you explain it, some

spectators will want to stick their card back into the middle. But it is entirely in the

hands, so its good to know.



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Simple Miracle 2

Setup

Start by cutting the Three of Clubs back to top. You did put in a breather crimp, didnt

you?

Go

Go through the same selection process as Simple Miracle 1, pointing out all the points of

fairness. Ask the spectator to cut either high or low, just to add even more

randomness. If you didnt turn away during the first selection process, you can do it

now, since the spectators know what to do and are much less likely to screw up (talk

them through it, though, just to make sure).

At this point, to repeat the whole explanation of how some magicians can make you

pick a certain card would be extremely suspicious. So instead, when Alex leaves thedeck on the table, you lean in and try to get a telepathic link. But what do you know,

youre not getting it. Take a guess at the color, and then, right or wrong, say you think

Alex needs to see the card again, to solidify the visual image.

Pick up the deck and hold it in front of Alex, backs to you of course. Spread the cards as

you explain even though I couldnt know where the card is, dont react when you see

it. While spreading, spot the key and read the card above it. Ask if Alex saw the card;

Alex will say yes. Hmm. Still not getting it, so hand Alex the deck to find the card,

and cut it to the face.

Now, when Alex is staring at the card, you finally start getting an image. Slowly you

name the card.



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Simple Miracle 3

Setup

None. This trick begins with Alex shuffling the deck, so its fairer than Simple Miracle 1.

But the revelation is not quite as direct. Just a trade off youll have to consider.

Go

Have Alex shuffle the deck and table it. You can talk about test conditions, or how

somebody must be suspicious.

Now lean in as you explain what Alex is going to do: Youre going to cut some cards,

from the middle. Pick up some cards with your left hand Mime doing this as you

explain, reaching out with your hand towards the deck and pretending to lift up some

cards. As you do this, read the top card. Remember; if you have the corner marked

Three of Clubs with a breather crimp, often this card will be right on top, which you cansee as the spectator puts the deck down on the table, so you dont even have to lean in.

While looking away, direct Alex, through a combination of words and hand gestures, to

cut off a group of cards with the left hand, then use the right hand to cut off another

group of cards, which comes from the middle. The group in the left hand goes back on

top. Cutting from the middle, you explain, is the fairest possible way to cut cards. Now

have Alex look at the bottom card of the packet, remember it, drop the packet on top of

the rest of the deck, and cut the cards.

The selection is now above the card you read, which you cant just spot in a spread, likeyou could the Three of Clubs. So youre going to have to go through a little different

process to find it.

First, though, ask Alex to think of the card, while you try to read it. But again, its not

coming through.

So you ask Alex to imagine the face of the card, and hold that image. And you pick up

the deck, and turn the top card over, holding it in your right hand, right above the deck,

so only you can see it. Stare at it for a second, then shake your head and throw it on the

table. This isnt your card, you proclaim, and then, just in case, look at Alex and sayright?

When Alex agrees, you turn over the next card and repeat the process. Turn, look, toss

on table. Each time you toss a card, say no. Dont take too long with each card.



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What you are really doing, each time you turn up a card, is reading the mark on the

next card, on top of the deck. When you see the card you read during the selection

process, you know that the card facing you is the selection.

Announce This is it, holding the card up back to the audience. Ask Alex to name the

card, and then turn it around to reveal that you have succeeded one last time.



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The Rule of Three Prediction

This simple trick combines the marked deck with one of the most reliable forces in all of

card magic. Its a lot of fun to perform. You get to do a little acting, but its not critical to

the trick. In other words, if your acting doesnt fool them, the trick still will. So its agood trick to work on your acting skills without any pressure. Remembera conjuror is

an actor playing the part of a magician.

A few years ago, Allan Zola Kronzek asked me if I would contribute to a book that

would teach magic to disadvantaged youth and adults. I thought this was a great and

noble idea.

I contributed this presentation, which is fun to do and fools the hell out of people. SinceAllans book, The Book of Powers, is for beginners, I described a non-marked-deck

version, with the performer openly looking through the cards before making threepredictions. But it is even better with a marked deck, as you never handle the cards.

The basic effect is that Alex shuffles the deck, you write three predictions, and Alex cuts

to three different cards. The predictions are revealed; the first two are just gags, but thethird is a miracle.

This is an extremely durable structure for comedy magic: the first gag is funny because

of the surprise, then the second makes people suspect that the whole thing is a put-on,

which makes the third into a real stunning surprise.

Go

Have Alex shuffle the deck and place it face down on the table. While that is happening,

take out three small pieces of paperor one piece and tear it into three pieces. When the

deck is placed on the table, do not look at it.

Instead, stare at Alexs right hand and take a slow, deep breath. Take one of the pieces of

paper and write, so that no one else can see, Unexpected. Fold this and put it down

next to the deck.

Stare at Alexs left hand, then take the second piece of paper and write Funny. Foldthis and put it next to the first prediction, and while youre doing that read the top card

of the deck. Lets say its the Three of Clubs. Write Three of Clubs on the third

prediction, fold it, and put it on the table.

Now youre going to talk Alex through the Cut Deeper force. This is not hard, but itsworth remembering that many spectators are not familiar with playing cardscertainly

not as familiar as you are. So be careful how you word your instructions. If you say cut



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off half the deck, Alex many not quite understand, or may just hear cut and pick up

and cut the deck. To avoid that, say With your right hand, pick up less than half of the

deck, turn it face up, and put it back on the rest of the deck.

Alex turns over a block of cards, revealing a random cardlets say its the seven of

hearts. Look surprised and say With your right hand you cut to the seven of hearts?I did not expect that! Just remembertwo out of three is still a miracle.Take the seven

of hearts and put it on the table, next to the first prediction.

Return your attention to Alex and say Now with your lefthand, pick up more than half

the deck and turn it over. Alex turns over another group of cards, revealing another

random cardcall it the queen of spades.

You react by laughing Hathats funny. Your left hand cut to the queen of spades.

Laugh again, then stop and say To me, anyway.Slide the queen of spades over next to

the second prediction.

Now spread the deck across the table. The top half is face up, the bottom half face

down. Slide the face up cards aside and point at the top card of the face down half,

saying Lets take the card bothyour hands cut to. Without showing it, slide that card

over next to the third prediction.

Pause for a moment to build a little drama, then say All three of my predictions arecorrect! Your right hand cut to the seven of hearts. My prediction was Reveal the first

prediction and say Unexpected! You remember, I said, I did not expect that.

Pause for a second here. Just to give everyone a chance to laugh (maybe), or to groan

(which means theyre hooked), but mostly so they realize that you are just playing.

Continue your left hand cut to the queen of spades. My second prediction was

Turn over the second predictionit says Funny. Immediately: You remember the

queen of spadesthat was funny! (Laugh) To me, anyway. This mini callback helps

make sure that everyone realizes that the whole thing is a joke. You are about the pull

the rug out from under that idea, of course, but before you do, make sure that everyoneis standing on it.

Open the final prediction and look at it for a secondthis pause helps set the hook My

final prediction says Three of Clubs. Pause againnot long, but just a beat, before

you continue Wouldnt that be a miracle, if the card you cut to, with both hands

Turn over the final card. Its the three of Clubs!



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Notes

I hope I dont have to explain, to a magician buying a manuscript of a method for

marking your own deck, the Cut Deeper Force.

Let me repeat my suggestion that you pay close attention to the wording of the

instructions you give Alex. You dont have to say what I say, but whatever you say, payclose attention. And if Alex does it wrong and the prediction card is lost, dont panic.

Just apologizealways apologize, even if its Alexs faultand start the whole trick

over. At most you have to change one prediction.

This trick is a good example of misdirection. The script talks about cutting with the

right hand, then the left hand, then finally the card cut to with both hands. It makes no

difference which hand the spectator cuts with. But at the time, the spectators are so busy

with each individual cut that they cant follow whats really happening with the cut-

deeper procedure. By the time you spread the deck at the end for the card both hands

cut to, its too late. The spectators have no chance.

This is what misdirection really is. Its not getting people to look the other way so they

cant see you do the secret move. Its getting people to focus on something else, so they

can watch everything and not see anything. That way you can relax during the trick

you cant get caught!

You can have two different people cut the cards, and just change the script: The card

you cut to, the cardyoucut to, the card you bothcut to.

VariationsYou can change the first two predictions. Any two gags will work. For example when

the spectator turns over the first card you can say the seven of heartsno! Then, after

the second card, say Queen of spadesYes! The predictions say No and Yes.Anything that calls back to what you said when Alex cut the cards. The trick is to make

a big enough deal about it the first time so people will remember it later on, but not so

big that it becomes obvious that youre setting something up.

Buy the Book

Allans book is called The Book of Powers, and it is part of Hocus Pocus, an outreach

program run by Bill Kalush and the Conjuring Arts Research Center. Find out more atwww.conjuringarts.org.

http://www.conjuringarts.org/http://www.conjuringarts.org/http://www.conjuringarts.org/


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Perfect Prediction

Effect

You jot a prediction on a piece of paper. Alex freely shuffles the deck and slides out one

card. Your prediction reads, say, the five of hearts. Alex turns over the card and its thefive of hearts.

Its exactly that clean. No force, no switch, no nothing.

Method

You only pretend to write on the paper.

Spread the shuffled deck across the table and ask Alex to slide a card half way outnot

all the way, half way, and slowly. Demonstrate as you do this by sliding any random

card half way out. Explain that Alex can switch to a different card; push the card back inand slide out another. But when the card leaves the spread and is no longer touching

the other cards, the decision is final. Saying this you point at the end of the card where it

last touches the spread.

Now Alex will slide out a card, and either switch or not; this is fertile ground forinteraction with and about Alex. When the card finally leaves the spread, everyone will

be looking at the end of the card where it last touches the spread.

This is when you read the mark. Lets say its the three of Clubs. Direct Alex to leave the

card on the table without looking at it yet.

Pick up the paper, pretend to read it, and say my prediction was the Three of Clubs.

What card did you pick?

While Alex is turning over the card, you nailwrite 3C on the paper. Its a miracle.

Toss the paper to the table as though it were unimportant. Let someone else pick it up if

they want but please resist the temptation to suggest it.

The Details

The idea of combining a marked deck with a nail writer is old. Harry Risersaforementioned Feints and Temps of Harry Riser has a classic version, which features a

terrific way of having the spectator choose and return their card while your back is

turned, delaying the reading of the mark in an extremely well-constructed way.

Definitely worth looking up.



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Risers trick uses a construction which is standard, but which I think has a serious

drawback. In it, Alex picks a card and looks at it; you read the mark. Now, before Alex

announces the selection, you pick up your prediction, nail write the card, and hand it

out for a spectator to read.

I think this is the wrong time to do the nail writing. Once Alex knows the selection, allattention is on the prediction. But if Alex doesnt know, when you miscall the

prediction, all attention goes to the selection. So the nail writing is much better covered.

If youre new to nail writing, this is a great first nail-writing trick.

If you fold your prediction, when you unfold it, turn it upside down before pretending

to read it. This is a great subtle convincer. Dont say anything about it. Youll ruin it.

This is another great example of the power of combining two secrets. They perfectly

cancel each other; neither a marked deck nor a secret writing device would, by itself,

explain the uncanny prediction.

Variations

David Regal thinks you dont need a nail writer for this trick. He thinks that instead of

pretending to write a prediction, you write your initials on the paper. After youannounce the prediction and it is proven correct, mumble something about initialing the

prediction, and thats when you write in the value. I think this is a tantalizing idea, but I

dont know when you would do it. Doing it after you announce the prediction seems to

call unwanted attention to the fact that youre writing on the prediction, right when

Alex wants to see if its right. Initialing the paper after the card is revealed seems

strange and unmotivated.

If you could solve it, and you didnt need a nail writer, that would be a plus. Ive

considered just dropping my hand with the card into my lapall attention is on the

face down selectionand write the name of the card against your leg. I never tried it

the idea of putting the slip out of sight makes me uncomfortablebut perhaps you

could make it work. I continue to search for an impromptu, no nailwriter version.

I know I have said this already in this book, but imagine the effect on the spectator. You

write a prediction. They shuffle and select one card. The prediction is revealed, the card

is revealed, they match. This trick by itself is worth learning to nail write.



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Seven Shuffles

A number of years ago, Persi Diaconis published a paper in which he proved that it

takes seven shuffles to really randomize a deck of cards. The paper is highly technical

and few magicians have read it or understand more than the most basic ideas.Fortunately, whether you understand this paper or not, or even if youve never heard of

itit makes for an interesting presentation for this supremely direct miracle.

Effect

You spread the cards, showing that the deck is in new deck order. Alex shuffles the deckseven times and puts it down; you watch the shuffling like a hawk but do not touch the

deck. Alex names any number from 1 to 52. You do a few mental calculations and

announce: the Three of Clubs. Picking up the deck, you count down to Alexs number,

and the card there is the Three of Clubs.

Setup

Deck in new deck order.

Go

First, spread the deck face up to show that it is in original order. Now hand it to Alex,

with instructions to give it seven riffle shuffles. You watch these shuffles very carefully,

while you explain that a magician and mathematician named Persi Diaconis once

proved that it takes seven shuffles to really randomize a deck of cards. But, even though

the cards will be randomized, an expert grifter can still track three or four important

cardsthe aces, sayeven across seven shuffles. Its whispered that some people cantrack the entire deck, even after seven shuffles.

Alex finally squares up the cards and tables the deck. Reach out and very obsessively

square up the deck by slowly drawing your fingers over the sides. What you are really

doing, of course, is reading the top card. Lets say its the Three of Clubs.

Ask Alex to name any number from 1 to 52; lets say its 23. Furrow your brow, and

mentally divide 93 by 7. When you have the answer, announce Three of Clubs.

Now youre going to count down to the 23rd

card, and show it as the Three of Clubs,which is currently on top. If you can do a great second deal, youre all set. I cant even

do a bad second deal, so this is what I do:

The Move to be Named Later

Start with the deck in dealing position: Take the top card in your right hand, thumb

above and fingers underneath, and say one. The card is lifted up and to the right as it

is drawn away, but it is not tilted to show its face.



34/82

Take the next card underneath the first, slightly to its left and say two. As your right

hand comes back for the third card, it slides the top card of the two to the left, until its

leftjogged by about twice the border. Dont forget thisit makes the steal much easier

later on.

Each card after that gets shoved in between the bottom card and the right fingers.

As you get closer and closer to the number, as a gesture of fairness, you gradually begin

raising each card up higher and higher, until Alex can see the face of the last two or

three cards. By the time you are ready to count the 22nd card (n-1), your right hand is

coming up fully vertical in front of Alex.

Your left hand brings the deck up, and Alex clearly sees the 22nd card fairly coming off

the top of the deck to the face of the cards in your right hand.

What Alex doesnt see is that your left thumb takes the top card of the right hand packetand slides it back onto the deck.

Hold your right hand where it is. The left hand pushes the Three of Clubs off the deckright as you say 23 and put it under the cards in the right hand.

Notes

I worked out the sequence that lets you show the top card at any number about six

years ago. I first learned the basic idea of the sleightcounting cards one under each



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other, then sliding the top card back onto the pilein The Secrets of Brother John Hamman

(Kaufman, 1989), where its called the Undercount. Hamman used it to count four cards

off the deck and steal one back. At some point I worked out the card at any number

version, and later came up with the shuffle tracking presentation you see here. Just as

this ebook was being proofread, Bill Goodwin handed me the July 1944 issue of Genii

magazine. In it is a trick by Sylvan Barnet called At A Mentally Chosen Number. Its

the exactsame procedure I worked out a mere 65 years later. But it was my idea to put it

in an ebook for $20.

That doesnt answer what to call it, though. Ill be using it again later in the book, so I

have to call it something. Im going to call it the Sylvan CAAN. By the way, in 1940Genii published a letter to the editor from Barnet, who was 13 at the time. This means

he was 17 when he published this move, and 19 when he had two tricks in J.G.

Thompsons classicMy Best.

This move makes a sliding sound, as the right half slides out from under the top card. I

cant stop this, so every time I count a card off the top, I slide it off.

This is another example of the power of combining a marked deck with something else

in this case the Sylvan CAANwhich cancel each other. The resulting trick is

wonderfully clean and direct.



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Markus Maximus

By Bob Farmer

Before releasing this ebook, I sent a copy to Bob Farmer, ostensibly to make sure what Iwrote about his Farmarx system was correct, but secretly to get him to contribute a great

trick. Also to make sure the word ostensibly means what I thought it did.

My plan worked to perfection. Bob originally created this trick using a gaffed deckit

was called AGAOG, but I dont know what that meansthen ten years later created the

marked deck version you are about to read.

Instead of me telling you how great this is, just read the effect.

Effect

Three spectators assist: Alex1, Alex2, and Alex3. You hand a deck to Alex1 and turn

your back. Alex1 shuffles the deck freely, then chooses any card and hides it in a pocketwithout looking at it.

Hand the deck to Alex2 and repeat this process, again with your back turned. Alex3

does the same.

Now, while your back is turned, the spectators memorize their cards.

Each spectator now shuffles their card freely back into the deck. While your back is

turned! Now you take the deck and spread it face down across the table. Asking thespectators to concentrate, you wave your hand over the spread, picking up the psychic

vibrations from the cards.

Now, you get two quick impressions about the chosen cards, i.e. two of you are thinking

of red cards, right? Two of you are thinking of odd numbered cards, right?

Right and right.

Finally you turn to Alex1 and name the card he or she selected. Ditto with Alex2 and

Alex3. You are correct every time!

As Bob says: No sleights. No memorization. Never fails. No outs. The spectators cannot screw

you up. The cards are genuinely shuffled and you have absolutely no idea what the cards are or

where they are until you get your impressions. No confederates. No union soldiers.



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The Method, Basically

The spectators make their selections from a marked deck, but they return their cards to

an unmarked deck (dont worrythe switch is easy). When you spread the deck, you

find the three marked cards and learn what they are. Then Bob has a great thing where

you can tell who has which card.

The Details

Set up by putting a marked deck in any handy pocket on your right side and an

unmarked deckminus any three cardsin the same pocket on your left.

Take out the marked deck, and do a few tricks with it. This is a closer.

Hand the deck to Alex1, and turn your back while he or she shuffles, picks a card

without looking, and hides it. Now you take the deck and hand it to Alex2 for the same

process. Repeat with Alex3. Your back is turned while all the important actions are

happening, but you occasionally turn back as needed to help out with the basicprocedure. The spectators will simply remember that your back was turned.

After Alex3 is done, you take the deck and give instructions that all three spectators

should wait until your back is turned before they look at their selections. As you are

turning your back, casually put the deck in your right pocket. Wait a few seconds, then

ask if everyone has memorized their card. When they say yes, take the deck from your

left pocket and hold it, behind your back, so Alex1 can take it. Direct the three helpersthrough the replace-and-shuffle-freely procedure.

Like all good deck switches, this is based on boldness. But its covered by strongmisdirection. When you put the deck in the pocket, all attention is on the selections.

And theres time misdirection between putting the deck away and taking it back out.

Take the deck and make a very wide face-down spread across the table. Do this smartly

and dont stop to read the marksjust notice where the marked cards are. Now you go

back and adjust the spread in a couple of places, as if you are making sure each card is

equally exposed. This is when you read the marks.

Stare at Alex1 and wave your right hand over the length of the spread, pretending to

feel a psychic vibration. Dont forget this partthe pretending. Actually pretend to feela psychic vibration. How does this feel to you? Is it weird, or are you used to it by now?

Is it slightly uncomfortable? Answering these questions will make this moment more

effective.

Whatever you choose, repeat with Alex2 and Alex3.



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At this point you know the names of the three selections, but you dont know who

chose which. Youre going to get this information using Bob Farmers Impromptu No

Nos Fishing system. Basically you announce something that is true about two of the

three cards, and when the spectators confirm that you are right, that tells you where the

third card is. You make a different statement that uses the same principle to isolate oneof the other cards, and when you know where two of the cards are, this tells you where

the third card is. Its easy, but you have to figure it out on the fly, so youll have to

practice a few times to feel comfortable. Heres a typical example:

Lets say the three cards are the Two of Clubs, Three of Diamonds, and Four of Hearts.

Thats two red and one black, so you say I can tell that two of you are thinking of redcards. Whos thinking of a red card? Lets say Alex1 and Alex3 raise their hands. This

tells you that Alex2 has the two of clubs. Now you say that two of you have even

numbered cards, is that right? Who has an even numbered card? Alex1 and Alex2 raise

their hands. Since Alex2 already has the Two of Clubs, Alex1 must have the Four ofHearts, and that means Alex3 has the Three of Diamonds.

Now that you know who has which card, look each of your spectators in the eye and

dramatically read their minds.

Notes

Bobs Impromptu No Nos Fishing is great, but the need to improvise makes it seem a

little uncertain for some people. Really the process is both simple and foolproof. Just

remember that the audience does not know that you are planning to make two

statements. If you have to make a third statement, go ahead. Or if you cant figure it out,just announce the names of the three cards, and say if I named your card, sit down.

This is a fine and miraculous ending.

But you should never need to. Since you are never wrong, every correct claim you make

will seem like a magical event. By the way, when you are thinking of these statements,

you are apparently concentrating on using your mental powers to read psychicvibrations. So dont worry if you have to pause to think, as that is completely in line

with the presentation.

Update v1.1

This is a practical trick, since all you need is your marked deck and a matching

unmarked deck. But if you can dedicate a specific deck to take the place of the

unmarked deck, you can easily make this trick easier, cleaner, and stronger.

Take the matching unmarked deck and corner short every card, using a $10 corner

rounder you can buy at any office supply or craft store. This way, after the spectators

have returned their (marked) cards, you can find the three selections at the corners and



39/82

get them to the top by doing a casual overhand shuffle, holding back the selections by

their extended corners. This is very similar to using a stripper deck. Read their

identities, then put the deck in your pocket.

Now you have a double finish. First, the original climax: do your no-nos fishing, and

name the cards. Follow this by reaching into your pocket and pulling out just the threeselections!

While the audience is reacting, you reach into your pocket to remove the rest of the

deck, but of course you pull out your marked deck. You are now reset: the three

selections go back in the marked deck and the corner shorted deck is in your pocket.

This corner-shorted deck is only used for this one trick, and will last a long time. Its

really very practical, and the effect! They shuffle, they choose cards themselves, they

shuffle them back into the deck. You put the deck in your pocket, divine the selections,

and pull them out blind. Its a closer.



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Watchman

Update v1.1

This is the first trick I added to the book in the year or so since it first came out. Its my

new favorite trickif someone asks me to show them a trick, this is the one. Themethod is so simple, but there is an irresistible throwoff built into the presentation that

makes everything completely impenetrable to the audience. And after the amazing

climax, an even more amazing second one.

Effect

You take the Jack of Diamonds out of the deck, calling it the Watchman. Alex shuffles,

after which the Jack is put into the deck face up.

With your back turned, Alex cuts the deck, looks at the card freely cut to, and loses it

back into the deck.

You remove Jack and hold him to your ear. Jack names the chosen cardand announces

where it is in the deck!

Method

Take the Jack of Diamonds out of the deck and while Alex is shuffling, explain that Jack

is the Watchman.

Take back the deck and say that you are going to insert Jack face up. Let the audience

see that the Jack is going in face up, but when you do the actual insertion, hold the deck

so no one can see where it goes. This is done openlyit should be clear that the

audience isnt supposed to see where the Jack goes. In fact, slide the Jack under the deck

so it is face up on the bottom.

Hand the deck to Alex and turn away. Youre going to give some instructions which

Alex needs to follow precisely, but you want to make it seem like its all very casual. As

mentioned previously, you dont have to use my exact wording, but whatever you do

say should be figured out in advance. This is a bad time to wing it. Also make sure to

act out with your own hands exactly what you want Alex to do.

Cut off about half the deck and put it on the table. If you cut to the Jack, just put the

cards back and try again. (pause) Done that? Okaythe cards in your hand, just peek

up the corner of the top card and memorize it. (longer pause) Really memorize it. Done?

(wait for a yes) Okay, now, take the cards in your hand, and give them a cut, so your

card is buried in the middle. Now put your cards on top of the deck. Pick up the entiredeck and give it a cut.



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At this point you turn back to Alex. Now I couldnt possibly have seen your card. But

Jack was face up. He saw everything.

Spread through to find the face up Jack and cut it to the top. Read the mark of the card

below the Jack. Thats the selectionagain well use the three of clubs as an example.

The Jack tells me your card is the three of clubs.

Pause.

Whats that? He says its the 12thcard down.

Reverse count 12 cards into your right hand and slam the entire packet face up on the

table. The three of clubs is on the face!

Notes

The dodge of reverse counting the packet and slapping it on the table is very old and

most magicians disdain it because they know it. But it works terrifically well on real

people, especially if you follow the basic principles of misdirection: Count twelve cards,

pause while you ask Alex to confirm the name of the selection, then put the packet

down, saying the name of the selection again. Asking Alex to confirm the selectionprovides more than enough of both time misdirection and mental misdirection.

However if you are working for fellow magicians who might know that bit, you can use

the Sylvan CAAN to find the card at the 12th position. Ive tried that and its a bit

cleaner, but at this point in this trick, I dont need nor want to focus on the cleanliness ofthe handling. The revelation of the selection is so remarkablegiven how fair the

selection process wasthat if you count briskly and put the packet down with a

triumphant attitude, no one will notice. For this trick I choose pace over cleanliness.

I cant urge you enough to give this a try. The revelation of the identity is really very

stunning, and calling the number explodes peoples minds in a very pleasant way. Atleast, its certainly pleasant for you.

Alternate Ending

This works if Alex is sitting down and you are standing or sitting to the right. When

you spread through to remove the Jack, hold the jack in front of Alexs face for a

moment, lightly resting your left hand on Alexs chair as you do. Now place the Jack on

the table, and thumb off the top card of the deck as you do. The selection will slide

down to the seat cushion behind Alex.

Announce that Jack told you the card, reveal its name, and bask in the miracle. During

this time your left hand casually comes off the chair, so that by the time attention



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returns to the deck it is in front of Alex. Now announce that Jack is telling you the card

is gone from the deck. Deal the cards face up one at a time onto the table next to the Jack

there will be 50. Pick up Jack and announce 51the Three of Clubs is gone.

At this point you pretend to hear something from the Jack which you are holding. Jack

says you will find your card if you stand up. When Alex does, say He says youshould look at what you were sitting on. When Alex stands up the card will have fallen

flat on the cushion, where everyone will assume it was before Alex stood up.

More Alternate Endings

1) After you cut Jack to the top, put it on the table. Square the deck, palm the selection

off the top, and put the deck down. You can now proceed as above but with the Jack

appearing anywherewell, anywhere you can load it from a palm, at least.

2) You can have the Jack change into the selection. When you take the face-up Jack off

the deck, do a double lift. Reveal the name of the selection, then do any of a number ofmoves to change the Jack into the selection. The age-old Snap-Over Changewhere you

rub the card(s) on your arm and flip it overis a natural. Many years ago Al Leech

taught Tommy Wonder, and Tommy taught me, and Im telling you: this move is both

easier and more magical when you do it under your arm rather than over. There are

many variations of this move, including ones where you hold the card(s) at the corners

to keep them aligned, and ones where the cards arent even taken away from the deck.

You can even do Looy Simonoffs Flippant without taking the Jack off the deck.

The Original Ending

Although these alternate endings are fun, its worth considering that they have nothingto do with the basic premise of the routine, which is that the Jack sees everything. The

original ending is plenty impossible and the most consistent with the basic premise of

the routine. Many magicians dont care too much about that, but I do. Its at least worth

considering.



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The Genies Peek

By Richard Kaufman

Update v1.1Several months after this book first came out, Richard KaufmanEditor and Publisher

of Genii Magazinementioned this handling in his Genie Speaks column and I

immediately asked him for permission to include it. Its exceptionally clean and direct:

the spectator shuffles the deck, freely selects a genuinely random card without touching

it, and you immediately put the deck aside and then read their mind.

Its totally natural and completely easy. These kind of tricks are worth their weight in

gold.

Go

Hand Alex the deck to shuffle, while you go through some pre-mind-reading ritual. The

key for things like this is not to overdo it. Pick some small thing, like rubbing your

temple, or maybe clean your glasses. Dont say anything or call any attention to what

you are doing. If the spectators feel you are doing it for their benefit it will not help the

trick. Just hand over the deck and pay no more attention to Alex until you are done.

Take the deck back and hold it just below eye level in your left hand, facing Alex, as

though you were going to do a spectator peek. Bevel the cards so your finger can

reliably release cards one at a time.

Ask Alex to say stop anytime, then begin riffling slowly and steadily. When Alex says

stop, do so, and pull open the break to reveal the index corner. Pull it back far enough

that you can see the mark on the card below the break. But dont remember this card.

When you are sure Alex has had time to remember the card, say something like this:

Thats a free selectionyou could have gotten any card. As you finish this sentence,casually let two or three cards slip past your finger. This looks completely naturalyou

are just showing a few other cards Alex could have ended up withbut its the entire

secret. Because the first card released is the selection, and when it slips past your finger,

you can read the mark on the back.

Immediately put the deck away and forget all about it.

If you have done a pre-mind-reading ritual, now is the time to do some echo of that

movement, but again without calling attention to it. If you rubbed your temples, rub

them again. If you cleaned your glasses, adjust them.



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Read Alexs mind and name the card.

The Other Half of the Trick

This trick creates the effect of reading someones mind to learn the identity of a card

they are thinking of. The method has two parts. The first is the marked deck and peek

handling that lets you secretly learn the cards identity.

But thats only half the method. The other half is pretending to read their mind. And the

better you are at this, the better the trick will be. Many magicians dont really think ofthis as method. But it is. Consequently its worth taking seriouslyby which I mean,

practicing it, and thinking about the best ways to do it.

That doesnt mean overdoing it, in a cartoonish way. Just the oppositeundersell it.

Dont say anything that sounds like it is for the spectators benefit. Dont explain whatyou are doing. Just do it, and let the results stand for themselves.



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Nothing But Script

So far weve used a variety of magical secrets to cancel the possibility of a marked deck.

These next three dont use any additional secrets. In essence, the spectator picks a card,you read the mark and name the card. In these three tricks, the What Elsethe thingthat keeps the spectators from thinking of a marked deckis the presentation.

These three scripts are designed to fascinate the audience so that they not only dont

think of marked cards, they dont think about the method at all. Each of these

presentations is designed to be more interesting to the audience than trying to figure

out the trick.

Ive done each of these tricks for knowledgeable spectators, both magicians and

otherwise, and never been called on the marked cards. But I never do more than onetrick like this in a performance, mostly because the effects are too similar.

These are written as scripts, in screenplay format. There are no notes on method: the

method is you read the mark.

Each of these scripts was first published in Scripting Magic. Think of them as a bonus,

rather than a cynical repackaging of old work.



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Echoes

IntLiving RoomEvening

Pete sits at the table with his friend Alex, shuffling a deck of cards.

Pete

Echoes never die, really. Anytime energy goes out, it

bounces off something and comes back. It doesnt

come back as strong, so it fades. But it never goes

away completely. It just gets so faint we cant hear it

anymore.

Pete takes the deck and spreads it face up on the table.

Pete

This deck is in a random order, mostly. But its not

completely random. Because it started in new deck

order, and since then its been shuffled, I dont know,

hundreds of times, probably.

Pete picks up the deck and gives it a few more shuffles.

Pete

And with every shuffle, the original order gets fainterand fainter, but it never goes away completely. No

matter how many times you shuffle, an echo of that

order will remain in the deck. Ill show you.

Pete spreads the deck face down across the table.

Pete

Alex, if you would, please touch any card, but dont

move it out of the spread, thats crucial.

Alex touches the back of a card.

Pete

Okay, leave that one face down. But were going to

turn up four cards on each side.



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Leaving Alexs card face down, Pete turns over four cards above and below it. Pete

looks at the cards for a few seconds.

Pete

Well, its a Club.

Pete begins repeating the names of the cards surrounding the selection, to himself, over

and over.

Pete (to himself)

Lets see, Three of Diamonds, Four of Clubs, Ten ofSpades, Queen of Spades. Three of Diamonds, Four of

Clubs, Ten of Spades, Queen of Spades. (pause) Three

of Diamonds... Four of Clubs... Ten of Spades... Queen

of Spades. The echo is very faint, but that must be the

Seven of Clubs.

Alex reaches for the card.

Pete

Or maybe the Eight. But probably the Seven.

Alex turns over the card. Its the Eight of Clubs.

Pete

Let me do that again. You shuffle this time.

Alex shuffles the deck.

Pete

Because this probably looks like a card trick. You

shuffle, so you know... Great. Thank you.

Pete spreads the shuffled deck across the table.

Pete

Touch any carddoesnt have to be from the samepart of the deck. Its not any easier or harder. Its the

same echo.

Alex touches a card.



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Pete

See if we can do it with just two cards. I usually close

with this, but I got four cards pretty well, so lets go.

Pete turns over two cards on either side of the touched card. He draws his breath in

sharply, as if he does not like what he sees.

Pete

Its... a black card.

Pete studies the two face-up cards. He takes a deep breath, and tries to relax.

Pete (very calmly)

If you force it, you get nothing. (pause) That is either

the Four of Spades, or the Jack of Clubs. Its the Four

of Spades.

Alex turns over the cardits the Jack of Clubs.

Pete

Damn.

Pete turns over a few more cards above the selected card. Then he turns over a fewcards below the selection, where he finds the Four of Spades.

Pete (to himself)

Below?

Pete frownshe does not understand what went wrong.

Pete

Well, I hope that was close enough that youll let me

try one last time.

AlexOf course.

Pete

Shuffle three more times.

Pete gives the deck to Alex, who shuffles three more times.

Pete

Spread them across the table.



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Alex spreads the cards across the table.

Pete

Touch one.

Alex touches one.

Pete

Now dont turn over any cards. Count all the cards

above the card you touched.

Alex counts.

Alex

Eighteen.

Pete

So you touched the nineteenth card in the deck..

Alex

Yes.

Pete

Okay. You could never do this first, just count to a

number, tell you what card that is. But because Ive

seen, what... half a dozen cards during the last few

phases. And I know where every one of them is in the

original deck order.

Pete takes three rapid breaths in and out, then one last huge breath in, which he lets out

very slowly. Suddenly it comes to him, and he looks up with a smile.

Pete

Its the Nine of Diamonds.

Pete turns the card around. Its the Nine of Diamonds. Pete picks up the deck and

begins shuffling.

Pete

And because the original order is still echoing around

in the deck, if your fingers are very sensitive, it ispossible to reverse the effect of all the shuffles that



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have come in between, including the four or five

shuffles you gave.

Pete spreads the deck face down across the table.

PeteEchoes never die. If you listen hard enough...

He slowly turns the spread over. The entire deck is back in new deck order.

Pete

...you can still hear them.

The End

Notes

This is just tantalizingly possible. Thats the keypeople want this to be true. But to

have this work for you, you have to act as though you are doing exactly what you say.

You do not have to be a great actor. Youre not pretending to experience the depths of

human emotion. Youre just pretending to make some calculations. If you want to be a

method actor, actually do some calculations. Divide 363 by 7, in your head. By the way,

studies show that when people do math in their head, they tend to look up and to the

right.

This script invites the audience to be profoundly silent at the end, so it may not generateloud applause. But the profound moment will resonate long after the applause would

die down. Youll get that applause back at the end of the show, with interest.

Echoes is a great script for people who do not have a great deal of experience acting.

The acting requirements are really very straightforwardyou can do it, and if you cant,

you can learn how. But the acting is vital to the trick. You cant pretend, you have to act

as though you were actually doing it. A lot of magicians, when they come to a moment

that requires acting, just pretend to be doing the thing. Audiences can immediately tell

the difference. And, by and large, theyre not interested in watching people pretend.

card marking

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