Just

Just
Five!
Five!
Unique Card effects
Card effects of
Interest

Bob Malinchock
Bob Malinchock

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 Just Five!
Unique Card Effects

Content
Preface 3

1. World’s Fastest 2 Card Discovery 4

2. Snuggling-up to the Marker 7

3. Real Mindreading Actor 10

4. True ACAAN 13

5. Memory Skills 18

A Talk About 22

© Bob Malinchock, 1/24/24

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 Preface
Perhaps this small volume might surprise you since it only contains five card
tricks. Card tricks! There must be thousands if not millions of card tricks. In
this effort, my intent was to limit myself to only five effective playing card
effects in the hope that you, the reader would actually focus and maybe even
attempt them since there were only five effects to consider. I have found that in
my extensive library of books, my tendency was to browse the book, make note
of a few tricks that seemed good at first and then shelve the book without ever
attempting them.

My hope here is that you might be more inclined to try some of the effects
presented here since there are only five to look at. The card tricks presented in
this volume are not hard, almost automatic in some cases; however, highly
dependent on presentation. The methods are well disguised and known in the
magic community.

The presentations are what add considerably to the final effect upon the
audience. After all, it’s the presentation that defines our art. Art? Just what is
that? One way to achieve one aspect is as follows. The performer must
participate in the mystery being presented. It is not in the manipulation or
secret method alone that the art occurs. It’s in the patter connection and
relationship building with the audience that ties the personality of the
performer to the mystery and wonder of the effect.

It is hoped that the five effects included here offer an opportunity to enhance
your approach to performing. The first four effects can be done totally
impromptu while the last requires some significant deck setup. Thus, less
attention on sleights and card juggling is needed.

Enjoy!

Just Bob!

Feb. 3, 2024
[email protected]

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 World’s Fastest Two Card Discovery

Spent some time researching Eugene Burger’s World’s Fastest

Card Trick and discovered several other versions of card tricks
named the same, but quite different in effect and method. So
here is my version with a similar name -- a great card trick from
a very old MUM magazine. It was given to me by a friend of
mine back in May of 1987. It’s fast, quick, and makes a
surprising opener.

Effect: Two cards are selected from a freely shuffled deck of playing cards.
Half the deck, face up is shuffled into the other face down half of the deck. The
deck is squared, and the performer suddenly throws the deck at the table. All
the cards scatter, except for two held between the performer’s thumb and index
fingers. Needless to say they are the two chosen cards!

Requirements: A standard deck of playing cards. Two spectators to help; one

on the left and the other on the right.

Setup: None

Performance: A deck of playing cards is shuffled by a spectator who is

instructed to divide the deck into two approximate halves. The halves are then
cut into two equal parts, giving us 4 piles of cards. The exact number of cards
in each pile doesn’t matter, as long as there is more than 10 cards in each pile.
To ensure that the packet to be used has at least 10 cards one helper is
instructed to count the cards in a pile of his choice. They announce the two
digit total. For example, let’s assume 14 cards were in the pile. The magician
suggests that a card be looked at and remembered somewhere in the middle of
the pile and tells them to look at the fifth card down. Note that this number is
the simple sum of the two digit total. The helper looks at and remembers the
card at that location, counting down into the selected pile from the top. So the
5th card from the top of the pile is remembered. Spectator then selects a second
pile and puts it on top of the first, burying the first selected card even deeper in
the middle.

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This whole sequence is repeated for the remaining two piles by the second
helper. A pile is selected, counted, and a card looked at and remembered at the
location nonchalantly suggested by the performer. The pile total reduced to a
single digit again. The card at that number from the top is remembered, and the
last pile is placed on top. This yields two piles of cards with two chosen cards
located deeply in the middle of each.

Performer picks up the two halves from the two helpers, one half in each hand.
He openly turns one pile face up and proceeds to dovetail shuffle one half into
the other. Note, only once.

We now have a deck with half the cards face up, and the other half face down.
Turning to one helper the performer spreads the mixed face up and face down
cards from one hand to the other to demonstrate their mixed condition. The
entire deck is turned over and once again spread from hand to hand in front of
the second helper.

The magician announces that he is about to present the fastest two card
discovery ever invented. It is so fast that one might fail to see it if not watching
very carefully. The deck is riffle shuffled again and squared. Suddenly the
performer throws the deck at his hand, table, or floor. All the cards potentially
scatter, except for two held between the performer’s thumb and index fingers.
The performer asks for the names of the two selected cards. Needless to say,
soon to be revealed between his fingers are the two chosen cards!

Method: Follow the above description up to the card spread in front of the two
helpers. When the cards are spread from hand to hand, count the face up cards
to the tenth card. This is one of the selections. Make a slight break after the
tenth card but continue the spread simply demonstrating how all the cards are
mixed, face up and face down. As the magician turns towards the second
spectator at the break after the tenth face up card, turn it and all cards to the
right of it over and replace on top of the deck. This is the secret move and can
be done nonchalantly. This puts one of the selected cards on top of the deck.

In front of the second spectator, turn the entire deck over. Repeat count to 10th
face up card, make a break, and turn over at that cut location as before, placing
the chosen card on top of the deck as you turn towards the audience. At this
point it is acceptable to do a riffle shuffle again while maintaining the top and
bottom cards in position.

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Selected cards now rest face up on the bottom of the mixed deck, and face
down on the top. To produce the cards, place thumb on top of the deck and
fingers on the bottom. Allow all cards between the top and bottom to fly out of
the hand with a tossing motion. Hopefully the selected two cards will remain
between the fingers!

Endnote: This is a rather quick and surprising effect and can be a good opener
in a card routine. As you may have noticed, I do not like having the helpers
adding digits of a total as is common in so many effects. Personally, I think that
suggests a mechanical solution in the minds of the spectators even though they
may not know why. Coming up with a supposedly random number, even if
provided by the performer, is more believable if presented as merely making
sure the selected card is being more randomly hidden in the deck.

An informal video presentation can be seen at: https://youtu.be/FA2NyoucO1k

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 Snuggling-up to the Marker

The idea for this effect was taken from the classic book “The
Fine Art of Magic” by George G. Kaplan in a trick called
Twenty-One Cards – A Double Prediction, Page 175. The
prediction was of the location of two cards in a 21 card packet.
The two cards were randomly selected using a joker freely
inserted into the packet. I reversed the effect since I thought the
original gave too much away. I’m also not a big fan of tricks presented as
“predictions.” We might also note that at no time do the spectators touch or
handle the cards except for the placing of the joker. In my version a reversed
card is substituted for the joker and called a “marker.”

Effect: Two cards are randomly selected by noting the cards snuggled up on
either side of a reversed marker card. After shuffling twice, the first is found
using Mental Telepathy. The second is revealed in one of several different
ways; e.g., from a face down spread or mixture, or by vanishing and finding it
reversed in the middle of the deck.

Requirements: Any deck of playing cards with at least 21 cards in it. Two
spectators or helpers. One on the right and the other on the left.

Setup: None.

Performance: Magician suggests that only about half the deck is needed for
this experiment and silently deals off a packet of 21 cards. The packet is picked
up and fanned face down and one of the helpers selects one. They are then
requested to place the card back into the fan face up. Both processes are free
choices.

The packet is then fanned with the faces towards the two helpers demonstrating
that the reversed card is now a marker separating two freely chosen cards.
Looking at the helper on the right side, they are requested to look at and
remember the card to the left of the reversed card.

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Turning to the helper on the left, they are requested to look at and remember the
card to right of the reversed marker card. The fan is now closed and the mage
points out that at this moment both chosen cards are known to be located on
both sides of the marker card. The task now is to ensure that they are separated
from the marker card. The way to do that is to perform the inverse faro shuffle,
he says.

Holding the packet face down in the left hand, the top card is taken by the right.
The second card is taken by the right hand and out jogged under the card in the
right. The third card is taken by the right in the normal manner under the
previous card. The fourth card is out jogged, and the process continues until all
cards are in the right hand. Obviously about half the cards are now out jogged.
The right hand strips all the out jogged cards and places them on top of the
remaining packet. This whole process is repeated a second time because two
cards must be moved away from the reversed marker card. This is just an
excuse for a second shuffle. Both are moved from the marker with the first
shuffle.

On completion of the two shuffles, the cards are again fanned towards the two
helpers who are asked to notice that their cards are no longer next to the
reversed card! If the marker card is too far on one end of the fan, the cards can
be cut to place it in the near center of the fan. Clearly the reverse faro shuffling
was successful.

The fan is separated below the marker card and the marker card is turned face
down and replaced in its position in the fan. In the process of closing the fan,
the packet is cut one card below the now face down marker card, with the
bottom half now being placed on top. This is the only critical move.

Turning to the helper on the left, the top half of the packet is taken and spread
face up. This helper is asked to note if their card is in the top half of the packet.
It won’t be. Secretly note the fourth card in from the left in the face up fan.
Remember it for it is the card seen by the spectator on the right side.

Take the fan, turn to the helper on the right, and ask if they see their card in the
fan and the answer should be yes. Close the fan and hand it to them with the
request that they find their card, remove it, and place it face down on the table.
Also they should cover it with their hand so that it can’t be seen.

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Immediately turning to the helper on the left, the remaining bottom half of the
packet is turned over and fanned face up. Again the question is asked as to
whether they see their card in the fan. The answer better be yes. Secretly note
that the seventh card in from the right side of the fan is their card. In the process
of turning the packet face down, cut the cards to the left of the face up chosen
card; i.e., between the seventh and eighth cards counting from the right. The
selected card should now be the top card of the packet.

Hand the packet to the helper on the left but palm off the top card as you
immediately turn to the helper on the right. They should have their hand
covering their selection. Take the remainder of their packet face up and add the
palmed card. Casually turn the packet over and replace the packet on top of the
original deck.

Remind everyone that the card the spectator selected in now hidden from sight
under their hand. Proceed to slowly reveal the card in the usual mentalist
manner. The card is shown and we have the first success!

Turning to the spectator on the left, give a look like you were expecting to see a
hand covered card, but of course, you never made that request. Request this
helper to find their card and remove it from the packet and cover it with their
hand similar to what was done with the helper on the right.

The card cannot be found. It has vanished! The mage asks for the name of the
chosen card. On hearing the name of the card the mentalist remarks that of all
the cards that could have been chosen, that card is the most cantankerous. It
always wants to stay in the deck. The mage then spreads the full deck face
down revealing the second card face up to the complete surprise of all
onlookers!

If one does not feel comfortable with palming a card, other revelations of the
second card are also possible since the card is on top of the small packet. For
example, double lift top two, note not the correct card. Deal to table and when
helper cannot find his card, reveal the one on the table!

Or, to be even safer, one could choose to not cut the second card to the top and
simply spread the packet face down and through the elimination of random
cards (noting where the 7th card from the bottom is located) discover the correct
card.

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Endnote: If one would like to use a packet of other than 21 cards, 24 will leave
the two chosen cards at positions 5 and 8. If 18 card packet is used, the cards
will be at positions 3 and 7.

An informal video presentation can be seen at: https://youtu.be/1sdoh3Mj1Og

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 Real Mindreading
Did you ever want to really demonstrate authentic mindreading
or telepathy? This effect is about as close to that as one can get.
At least in the minds of the spectators it will appear as though
you can really read minds. This is based on a February 2013
MUM trick called “I Dream of Mindreading” by Joshua Jay.
His trick used a blank deck, my version uses a regular deck. This trick depends
on the primary skill of the mentalist – Acting!

Effect: A spectator is requested to merely think of a card. The card identity is

transmitted to the audience quietly and silently. The mentalist determines the
card by using the grouped thoughts of all participants.

Requirements: A regular deck of cards.

Setup: Setup is to simply pick two cards you can easily remember. I use the
two black Queens. Place one indifferent card on top followed by a queen,
followed by an indifferent card, followed by the second Queen. Result should
be a black queen in the second and fourth positions from the top of the deck.

Presentation: The Mentalist begins with a short false shuffle, keeping the top
stack of four cards. Place deck on table face down and ignore it.

I would like to talk about the fact that real telepathy, or mind reading as some
call it, is never done in a magic show or mentalist performance, even though
real telepathy really does exist. The reason is the odds are against the
performer. Although it has been shown that the odds of having a card thought
of and transmitted to a receiver can be shown to be greater than 1 in 52, they
are still so small that no performer will try it.

However, the experts have recently found that the odds increase dramatically if
there are numerous transmitters who all transmit a thought at precisely the
same time. The problem is how does one get everyone to think the same
thought at precisely the same time? For example, suppose Ben here (select a
spectator to help you) thinks of a card. Now for everyone in the audience to
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know the card he is only thinking of is a problem. If he were to whisper it to
someone and then they in turn would whisper to the next person and so forth, by
the time it got to the last person, it probably wouldn’t be recognizable, like the
old telephone game. Besides, the receiver/performer might hear what is being
whispered.

One could also write it on a pad, but we still have carbon paper or a physical
means of slyly discovering the card. There is a way, however, to let everyone
know what card he is thinking of…. Silently and without writing it down. It uses
a coding system. I’ll demonstrate.

(Pick up the deck of cards.) Suppose I turn my back and I have Ben here deal
off cards, very visibly, slowly, and silently… like this. If the suit were a spade,
deal one card onto the table. Think of a spade with a point on top of the
symbol. If the suit was a heart, deal two. Think of the heart with two humps on
top. If a club, deal three. Think of a 3 leaf clover. (Start to deal a fourth, but
don’t) And a diamond, four. It has four sides. When finished, place the deck on
top of the dealt cards and square it all up so I can’t see how many cards were
dealt. (Note, we now have a Queen second from the bottom.)

Leave deck on table, turn around with your back towards the audience. Clearly,
and slowly give Ben the directions again to show everyone what suit he was
thinking of. When he’s finished, turn around, look at the squared up deck and
reiterate how everyone in the audience now knows exactly what suit he was
thinking of. But you don’t.

Now have him repeat the actions to transmit clearly, slowly, and silently the
value of his thought of card. Of course, you have your back to the audience
when this is done.

Turn around and ask the audience whether they all clearly know the name and
suit of his thought of card. Do not look at the deck, ignore it! It was merely a
tool to transmit his thought-of card to the audience.

Have everyone, on the count of three to think of the suit of the card,
transmitting that thought to you in unison. Next the value, importantly on the
count of three. It must all happen at the same instant! A bit of acting here. You
receive the images, but with some difficulty. Remark that you’re receiving
mixed images of a possible 2-3 cards and don’t know for sure which. Now pick
up the deck as you “look for the cards.” Actually, what you do is count the
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number of cards from the bottom up to the first black Queen. This is the value
of his card. Next count the number of cards to the next black Queen; i.e.,
between the Queens, this is the suit. Find the card indicated and another of the
same suit and/or value. Remove them from the deck and place them face down
on the table. You now attempt to determine which card is the correct one. Have
the audience transmit once again the suit or value. Then, “take a chance” and
hold up the correct thought of card, back to audience, and discard the other(s).
Have them all together name the card they were transmitting and dramatically
turn the correct card around. The mentalist has correctly determined the card
merely thought-of by a random spectator!

Endnotes: If one has a good memory, one could merely have a deck shuffled,
spread the cards face-up and note and remember the cards at the second and
fourth positions from the top and perform this effect. Or one could also pencil
mark two cards on the face corners as well and have them positioned at the
second and fourth locations from the top. Both approaches are too much trouble
for me.

An informal video presentation can be seen at: https://youtu.be/bO94J0EzlB0

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 True ACAAN

Stumbled on this while perusing my copy of More Magic by

Professor Hoffmann. Called the “Twenty-Seven Card” Trick on
page 32, it was described as an effect: To cause a card selected
by one spectator to appear at such number in the pack as
another spectator may indicate. Doesn’t this sound familiar?
This is nothing more than the Any Card at Any Number
(ACAAN) effect so mesmerizing the magic fraternity for years. Barrie
Richardson dedicated a chapter of his book to the subject. The late David
Berglas was famous for his rendition of the effect. Even I developed a version
of this effect (not included in this tome). But here in this 1890 volume is, in my
view, one of the cleanest approaches I have ever seen. It is what I use today for
an entirely impromptu occasion. It never fails.

Effect: A number from 1 to 27 is randomly selected by a spectator and noted in

writing on a small card or piece of paper. A packet of 27 cards is handed to a
second spectator who can freely select any card. The packet is then mixed. A
guessing game is played among the two helpers and the performer. On
conclusion the performer counts down to the initial number chosen and finds
the freely chosen card.

Requirements: A normal deck of playing cards, an index card and marker.

Setup: None

Presentation: The performer starts by saying this demonstration would go

much faster if we used less cards, like about 26-27 cards. As he says this he
proceeds to count out a random pile of 27 cards. An index card is torn in two
and one half placed in front of the helper on the left. The other half was given to
a second participant on the right.

Turning to a person on his left he requests a number be chosen somewhere

between one and twenty-seven. Any number is named. For this explanation let’s
say the helper chose the number eleven. With the marking pen the number

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eleven in large block characters is written on the card. The index card is placed
in front of the helper on the left, face up.

Taking the 27 card packet, the magician hands it to the person on the right and
asks them to select any card they want from the packet, mentally of course. The
helper is then requested to take the marker and secretly mark his half of the
index card with the name of his freely selected card. The mage emphasizes that
it should be written in large block letters just as had been done with the number
chosen by the helper on the left. Also, the named card should be indicated in
two character “card shorthand.” For example 2H for the two of hearts or QD for
queen of diamonds. The secretly noted index card should then be placed face
down on the table in front of him, the helper on the right. When this had been
done, the packet of 27 cards should be thoroughly mixed to lose the freely
selected card.

The magician then suggests that they play a little guessing game. He takes the
packet and begins a three hand deal starting at the person on the left. He deals
all the cards out. One of the helpers points to one of the three piles; i.e., the one
that they think contains the chosen card. That pile is picked up by the magician
and fanned face up in front of the helper on the right. Is your card in this pile?
they are asked. If it is, the piles are gathered. If not, a second or third pile
selection may be required. In any case, the three piles are gathered when the
correct pile is identified.

This same procedure is followed two additional times. At the end, after all
packets have been gathered for the last time the magician announces why this
three step game was played. The first step was needed to identify the card
chosen, he says. The second step was needed in order to locate or place that
card in the proper place as chosen by the first helper. And the third or last step
was needed to reveal that the first two steps are true.

The cards are dealt down to the number selected by the first spectator. The card
is slid facedown onto the table. They are reminded that the location was freely
chosen. Also the card was freely chosen and randomly mixed. The index card of
the helper on the right is turned face up to reveal the name of the chosen card
for the first time! Dramatically the face down card found at position eleven is
turned over to reveal the selected card as the card at the selected location!!

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Working: The secret lies in how the three packets are picked up after every
deal. Note the table on page 17 that describes how the piles should be
assembled to make any of the twenty seven cards appear at any location.

To read the table, simply note the selected location; i.e., the bold numbers. The
three figures along-side indicate the location where the packet with the selected
card should be placed as the three packets are picked up and assembled. A one
indicates it should be on top, a two in the middle, and a three means it should be
on the bottom of the assembled twenty-seven card deck. After three rounds of
deals and guesses, the card will be found at the selected location without ever
knowing the name of the selected card or its initial location.

The chart can be concealed in many ways; e.g., in a brief case, attached to the
back of a card case, etc. Personally, I have found it quite easy to memorize the
chart if one studies its natural patterns for a brief period. By doing this, the
miracle ACAAN is always available to use with any deck.

Memorization tips: Look at the chart carefully. There are three columns of
nine numbers broken into three groups of three. Each column ends in a multiple
of nine: 9, 18, and 27.

Each group of three is numbered 1 to 3 in the left most digit from the top down.
This gives us the placement of the packet for the first deal.

Look at the second number in each group of three. The bottom group is made
up of all 1’s, the middle group 2’s, and the top group is 3’s. This second number
gives us the placement of the selected packet for the second deal.

The third number in each group identifies the column it is in. This gives us the
placement of the noted packet for the third deal.

An example. Suppose the number eleven is the number selected at the start. We
know instantly that 11 is greater than 9 and must be in the second column, and
is only 2 greater than the nine. Hence the first number is 2.

We know that 11 is in the top group of three and so the second number must
therefore be a 3.

And finally, the third number is equal to the column the number is in and we
know that it is in the second column. Thus the sequence of placement for the
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given number 11 is simply 232. So in assembling the three packets, the packet
with the chosen card is first placed in the middle of the assembling, then on the
bottom for the second round, and lastly in the middle for the third round.

I know this is a lot of words for this description, but in actuality it is quite
straightforward and easy to work out as the second helper is shuffling and
noting their chosen card. Try it. It’s easy.

Endnote: This to my mind is about as close as one can get to the pure concept
of the ACAAN idea with minimal effort and no sleights.

An informal video presentation can be viewed at: https://youtu.be/VqYTkzXVq6g

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 ACAAN Table

1 131 10 132 19 133

2 231 11 232 20 233
3 331 12 332 21 333
4 121 13 122 22 123
5 221 14 222 23 223
6 321 15 322 24 323
7 111 16 112 25 113
8 211 17 212 26 213
9 311 18 312 27 313
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19
 Memory Skills

This effect came about after watching a video tape of someone I

can’t remember. I’ve tried it many times and it never fails to
succeed.

Effect: A deck of cards is thoroughly shuffled by numerous

members of the audience. One card selected, lost in the deck,
and is found by the performer memorizing the deck’s order. He names the exact
location in the deck and then proceeds to prove his memorization ability by
naming 14 other cards correctly.

Requirements: An ordinary deck of playing cards. Performer must memorize

15 cards – not as difficult as it may first appear. An audience of more than two
people.

Setup: The deck is pre-arranged. Preparation here is to memorize 15 cards. I

use the following 15 cards: ♣ A,2,3,8; ♥ 3,7,Q,K; ♠ 4,6,10,J; ♦ 6,9,J. These are
randomly mixed and placed on the bottom of the deck. I usually place a red Ace
on top of this packet before hand and place the other red Ace on the bottom of
the rest of the deck to differentiate the two segments of the deck. That is, the
two red aces together stand out when displayed in a face up spread.

Presentation: The deck of cards is spread face up left to right on the table
indicating they are all different. Mage grabs a few cards and hands them to the
person on his far left. He grabs a few more and hands them to the person seated
next to the person who received the first packet of cards. Both are requested to
thoroughly shuffle their small packets.

Magician then grabs a few more cards from the table and hands them to the
person on his far right side and requests they be shuffled. Two or three more
packets are handed off to spectators on the right until all the cards are handed
out to be shuffled.

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The two packets on the left are combined and shuffled further. All the packets
on the right are also combined and shuffled together as well. There is no doubt
that the cards are well mixed.

The Performer discourses on his recent difficulties with his memory and that he
has been practicing on improving it. He takes the larger packet on his right and
volunteers to demonstrate his improvement. An audience member is asked how
long they think it would take him to memorize the cards in the packet he holds.
They suggest something. Using a smartphone timer he volunteers to be timed.
The timing starts and he proceeds to singly pass the cards in his hands face up
as though memorizing them and their order. When he has gone through all the
cards, he places the packet face down on the table and asks how well he did in
the timing. Remarks here are optional.

The smaller packet on the left has a card freely selected and noted. It is handed
to the person seated next and continuously passed and noted until it reaches the
person with the larger packet on the right. This card is shoved somewhere into
the middle of the larger packet. Of course, throughout this selection process, the
Mage does not know the identity of the card selected. The larger packet is now
again handled by the Magician.

The Performer looks through the cards carefully. Because he has memorized the
order of the cards, he can now announce that the selected card will be found X
cards down in the packet. The person who selected the card is asked to name his
card out loud. The cards are slowly counted one at a time until the named
number is reached and the selected card is dramatically shown to correctly be at
that location! The cards are then casually mixed or dropped to destroy the
memorized order.

Oops! Perhaps there is a way out of this. He may have lost the order, but he
might try something else. The Mage then suggests that although he may no
longer be able to demonstrate the order, perhaps he could identify what cards
were NOT in the memorized packet. He has the cards in the smaller packet on
his left separated into blacks and reds and then into the four suits. He then
dramatically identifies all the clubs, hearts, spades, and diamonds now held by
those on his left!

Method: Using a face up spread is how one starts this effect. Note the two aces
side by side. Take about half of the cards to the right of the double ace markers
and give them to a helper on the left. Take the remaining cards to the right of
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the double aces, which may include the memorized ace, and give them to the
person seated next to the one who received the first packet. Request they shuffle
their cards vigorously.

Now take the remaining cards of the spread and pull various groups of cards
and give them to three or four other spectators to shuffle on your far right.
Shuffle, shuffle, shuffle, you insist. Have all the cards on the right gathered
together by one person and shuffled again.

Mage talks about memory and takes the large packet on his right side. Holding
the packet face up in the left hand, he slowly thumbs off one card at a time into
his right hand, slowly looking at each card and supposedly memorizing the
cards. He has now memorized the cards and their order in the large packet. The
packet is handed back to the person on his far right side.

Have the cards on the left gathered into one packet and shuffled. Have the
helper with the packet now select any card from their packet. Turn your back
and have the card passed to the group on the performer’s right with everyone
noting the selected card. When the card reaches the far right have it pushed into
the packet and lost. Do not have the cards shuffled for the order of the cards
must be maintained. This larger packet is then given to the Magician.

Performer looks through the large packet as though rechecking the cards and
their order. When he sees one of his previously memorized cards, he silently
starts counting from that card through to the end of the packet. He then
announces to his audience that the foreign card from the small packet is located
at position x in the packet of cards he just memorized.

He counts down to that position and then places the card face down on the
table. Mage then asks for the name of the selected card (he already knows it)
and reveals the selected card! In the process of doing this the cards he is holding
must be dropped or mixed so that no one can ask for other card locations, etc.
since he supposedly memorized the whole packet.

The magician then notes that although he had memorized the cards – the packet
is now in disarray. However, he could possibly identify which cards were not in
the packet, that is, the cards still held by the person on the left. He proceeds to
have the cards assembled by suits and then can easily announce all the cards by
suit (which were previously memorized) to the amazement of all!

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Endnote: Don’t forget the step to memorize the larger packet before having a
card selected and pushed into the larger packet.

An informal video presentation can be viewed at: https://youtu.be/_xE753GTI7I

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 Talk Abouts

What is a Talk-About? Just something we tried at one of our

SAM Assembly 297 meetings. It was simply a focused session
on one particular magic fraternity subject at the completion of
our usual Performance and Business segments of our monthly
meetings. It proved to be quite informative, educational, and
enjoyable as opposed to the usual random undirected discussions
of the typical club meeting.

This booklet provided a fine opportunity to focus a bit on one of our favorite
Talk About subjects – Presentation. We spent a lot of time in our discussions
emphasizing this aspect of our art. Hopefully this booklet will allow for the
reader to concentrate on this important skill. First none of the effects demand a
great deal of manipulative skill, no card juggling here. The methods involved
are subtle and disguised in natural broad movements. Second, the presentations
essentially make the magic.

The first effect, World’s Fastest 2 Card Discovery, depends on the element of
surprise. Most effects, stories, skits, etc. always have a beginning, a middle, and
an end. This effect seems to completely discard the middle! Cards are selected
and mixed and all of a sudden, the two are immediately revealed in a dramatic
fashion.

The second effect provides the opportunity to demonstrate mentalism as well as

magic with the two revelations. Again everything in the preparation phase of
the effect is very clear, easily followed, and understood by the audience.

The third effect emphasizes the presentation aspect more than any other. The
cards, in the mind of the audience should have nothing to do with the effect,
except when it comes to the final revelation procedure. Hence, the requirement
for some good acting.

True ACAAN is as close to the actual miracle as one can get in my opinion.
The unfortunate need to triple deal the 27 cards is covered by a reasonable

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game-like scenario and humorous explanation. Be glad it’s only 27 cards and
not the full deck.

The final memory skills effect will scare some readers because 15 cards need to
be memorized. It is not as difficult as it might appear. And the effort involved is
worth it.

As pointed out in the Preface for this booklet, emphasis is on presentation not
on skilled sleight of hand. These effects will also help build the confidence so
often elusive if one focuses on sleights rather than presentation. Included here
are five good card effects where one can fine tune their skill in pursuing the
ART in our profession. Let’s have our magic produce wonder rather than
puzzles to be solved.

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