Magic Roadshow

I’ll have attended the Carolina Close-up Convention by the time our next issue publishes. I hope to see some of you there.. And if any of you show up at my door on Oct.31 wanting a treat.. I got your treat.

Comments and Questions?  EMAIL ME  ( rick@magicroadshow.com )
IN THIS ISSUE:

• Paul Lelekis brings his ‘A’ game with ‘The Three Ace Trick’. You’ll love it..
• ‘Double Vision –  An Impromptu Effect’ has re-emerged from the depths of our Archives..
• Werner Miller’s Trick#9 in ‘Tricks Without Names’ is maybe my most favorite..
• I’ve reviewed Solari’s Miser Miracle, my favorite version of Misers Dream
• I’ve compiled every episode, on video, of Penn & Teller’s ‘Fool Us’.. season Two.
• Enjoy Prof. L.A. Harraden’s Complete Mail Course of Twenty Illustrated Lessons in Hypnotism.
• Watch David London’s ‘Magic Outside The Box’ – Full Show – August 16, 2013
• David Britland’s ‘Simply Stebbins –  A Good Guess.. An Effect’ is classic..
• Christopher T. Magician Presents three video tutorials for children performers.
• A Cardini Special –  Card in the Hat..  a magic standard from Werner Dornfield
• Make Matches Disappear – Video tutorial courtesy of Jay Sankey
• Jay Sankey’s ‘Strike Three’ – Video Tutorial for the Coin guys among us.
• How to Train Playing Cards to Attack –  one more Video Tutorial from Jay..
• Simple Sandwich Card Trick Tutorial – a Video from 52Kards
• 17 Easy Magic Tricks That Will Blow Your Kids Mind.. –  Video Tutorials
• ‘Touch of Modern’ for the discriminating magician..

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“Okay, let’s put on our socks, lean way over the edge and prepare to unleash the moment.” – Paul Harris (The Art of Astonishment by Paul Harris and Eric Mead, pg. 11.)

“The mere knowledge of secrets will not help the amateur conjurer very far on the road to success.” – David Devant (My Magic Life by David Devant, pg. 127.)

“We all get nerves form time to time.. accept that you have butterflies; just get them to fly in formation.” – John Guastaferro (Ready. Set. Guastaferro. by John Guastaferro, pg. 44)

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THE THREE ACE TRICK!
Paul A. Lelekis

This effect has many roots, one being an effect I created when I was shown a beautiful effect by a British performer many years ago.  It is very commercial!

EFFECT: A card is selected, signed and placed onto the table.  Then the four Aces are removed from the deck.  The selection is then lost into the deck.
The Ace of Spades is continually removed from the packet, but keeps coming back!  This happens 4 times.
Then the performer changes his mind by “squeezing” the three (maybe four!) Aces into one card – the signed selection!

METHOD: This is a fun routine that is played, “tongue-in-cheek”.  Many magical things happen and the signed card finale is startling!

Begin with the four Aces on top of the deck – the Ace of Spades being second from the top of the FD deck.

Mention that you are going to present a very unusual trick while false shuffling.  Then spread the deck from left to right and ask the spectator to “touch” the back of any card.  Of course you don’t want her to touch any of the Aces!

When she touches a card, offer her a chance to change her mind.  This can present many comical interactions!

Keep the cards in both hands, spread.  Then hold up your RH to display her selected card at the face.  Do this briefly and then lower both hands as you place that card and the card above it onto the LH packet.  Square these two cards up and say, “…Oh!  I forgot to have you sign the card!”

Square up the RH packet and place the double card from the LH packet at the face of the RH packet with a right rear thumb break in Biddle position.

Allow her to sign the face of her card.  After she signs it, side-jog the double over to the left side of the RH packet.  Display the card again.

Now, your left fingers add the double to the top of the LH packet.  Push off the top card (supposedly the signed card!), face down onto the table.
Undercut the selection to the top of the deck.  The four Aces will be together in the middle of the deck.

At this point, I like to faro the bottom third of the deck into the top portion, making sure that the signed card remains on top of the deck.

The only reason for the faro (or riffle shuffle!) is to distribute the Aces a little bit.  You are now, going to remove the Aces.

Situation Check: The signed card is supposedly face-down on the table.  The deck in hand has the actual selection on top and the 4 Aces in the middle.  You will now riffle (or Faro), shuffle the deck to distribute the 4 Aces.

Spread the deck as you up-jog each of the four Aces.  Get a left pinkie break over the bottom two cards (the selection and the indifferent card above it) of the face-up deck.

Perform Vernon’s Strip-Out as you add the bottom two cards to the back of the four Aces.  From the top of this 6 card packet, down, are: Signed selection, indifferent card, red Ace, AS, red Ace, AC.  (AC is on the bottom.)

Actually the order of the Aces doesn’t matter as long as the AS is, now, fourth from the top of the face-down packet.
You supposedly hold ONLY the four Aces!

Phase 1:
Explain that you are going to present a very unusual effect called “The 3 Ace Trick”.  As you say the above, hold the face-up packet in your LH and push off the top two cards into your RH and the left thumb pushes over the AS in a Bob Stencil display***(see end of trick), showing the four Aces.

The other two cards are kept lined up behind the red Ace in your LH.  Add the cards in your LH on TOP of the RH cards and square up.  The AS will be on top of this face-up packet.

“As you can see, I have four Aces and this is The Three Ace Trick, therefore I need to remove one of the Aces!  I don’t like the AS…!”

As you say the above, turn the packet face-down and perform an Elmsley Count.  The card second from the top will be the AS, but you turn over a double to show the AS again!  This is supposedly the top card!

Turn the double face-down and push off the top card (another Ace!) onto the deck and cut it into the middle.  Say that the, “…the AS is bad luck – so I’ll just remove it!”
The above will become a “running gag”!

Now you will “show” that there are only “three cards” remaining by, first, holding the packet in RH, Elmsley Count Grip, and pushing off the top card only (AS), into your LH.

Then block push-off the next three cards, as one card, on top of the LH card. Finally place the last card in the RH on top of the LH cards.

Each time you perform this, count out loud, “One, Two and Three!”

Mention again that, “…this is the Three Ace Trick, without the AS!”
This line will also become a running gag.

As you say the above line, turn the packet, face-up, and there will be the AS at the face!  Act surprised as though you don’t know what happened!

Turn the packet face down again and Elmsley Count the packet as four cards!  Turn a double face up to show the AS!

SAY THESE COUNTS OUT LOUD, EACH TIME, TO MAKE SURE THE AUDIENCE REALIZES THAT THERE ARE 4(?) CARDS!

Each time you count – make sure the spectators follow you!!  This includes the “one, two, three” counts!

Not only has the AS returned to the packet, but there are also 4 cards instead of three!  This a double surprise!

NOTE: There are number of double turnovers in this effect and the more experienced cardician will realize that the judicious use of the pinkie break or the Altman Trap to keep these breaks will make your performance smooth.

NOTE #2: Each time you place the “pesky Ace of Spades” onto the deck and then cut it, you are supposedly getting rid of your “problem”!  Keep this running gag going with a straight face and it will become increasingly humorous as well as perplexing to the spectators.

It is also important to be very clear about the counts.  The spectators must be clear about the “Three” counts and the “Four” counts!

Phase 2:
Turn the double face down and push off the top card (a different Ace – supposedly the AS!) onto the deck and then, again, cut the deck to bury the supposed AS.  (Repeat the above running gag patter each time this occurs!)

Now, again, hold the packet, face-down, in Elmsley Count position for a false “three” count.
Push-off the top card into the left hand as count “One”, then block push-off the next two cards at the count of “Two”, finally place the last card on top as “Three”!  This supposedly makes everything right again!

Repeat the running patter by saying, “…O.K., this is the Three Ace Trick without the AS!”

Turn the packet face up as if to finally begin The Three Ace Trick only to discover that the Ace of Spades has again returned!

Again turn the packet face down and Elmsley Count to “discover” that there are, again, FOUR CARDS in your hand again!!  ACT PERPLEXED!!
Turn up a double to show the AS.

Phase 3:
Turn the double face down again and place the supposed AS onto the deck and again cut it to the middle!

NOTE: You now hold three cards with the AS on top of the face down packet and the signed selection on the bottom.

Here is where your count will differ.  Hold the packet in LH dealer grip and count the three cards (without changing their positions!) to clearly show three cards.  “Yea! – NOW we’ve got three cards!”

NOW, merely displace the AS on top, by placing it on the bottom of the 3 card packet.  Act casual and no one will suspect anything.

NOTE: You now have an Ace on top, the signed card, then AS on the bottom.

“Finally we can begin The Three Ace Trick!”  As you say this, turn the packet, face up, to show the AS – again!!
“Wait a minute!”  Turn the packet face down and perform an Elmsley Count to “show” that there are, again, four cards!

Turn the top two cards, face up (easy since there are only three cards!) to show the AS on top.

Turn the double, face down, and take away the TOP TWO cards in Biddle grip as you flash the face of the AS.  Place this double onto the deck and again cut the AS(?) to the center!
Everyone will be watching the deck and NOT your left hand which holds only one card – the signed selection!!
Loudly say, “You know this trick isn’t working out for me…so I’ll just squeeze these three – or is it four cards? – into only one…!”  As you say this, place your RH on top and squeeze the card(s) into just one card, “…your signed selection!!!  Hand out that card for a souvenir!

***The Bob Stencil Display works best here if your left forefinger covers the outer thick edge of the red Ace (and the in-jogged Ace of Spades!), which effectively hides the other two hidden cards.  This display is only momentary and treated as incidental.  The illusion is that there are only 4 Aces…and is extremely strong!

OVERVIEW:
The premise of this effect is to show the spectators your 3 Ace Trick.  However the Ace of Spades, which you keep “getting rid of”, is apparently irritating you by continually returning to the packet in your hand!

You keep showing that there are only three cards after first getting rid of the AS, but then the AS immediately jumps back to your packet!  You further prove this situation by counting the packet as FOUR!

You should appear only slightly agitated, but even more confused as to why these events keep occurring.  Act as though these type of things haunt you on a regular basis.

Finally you give up trying to show The 3 Ace Trick by instead, making the three (or maybe four cards!) in your left hand “combine” into only one card – the signed selection!

The appearance of the selection is very surprising.  If you re-read the method I use to have the card selected at the beginning of this effect, you’ll see it is reminiscent of a Marlo sleight.

There are many ways to handle this selection, but this method is easy and is so strong – even the most agitating of the Retrograde Analysts (thank you Jon Racherbaumer!) will be lost.

This premise “happens” to the performer and NOT the spectators!  They are merely in your “theater” enjoying the show!

I use this format (the “magic” happening to the performer instead of the audience) because it will allow the spectators to relax instead being on watch for your fancy sleight-of-hand stuff.

This is a good idea when there are many sleights involved (whether difficult to perform or not!) and it makes life easier for everyone.

You can view ALL of Paul’s ebooks, currently 24 and growing, at Lybrary.com .. They are, undoubtedly, some of the best values in all of magic..  Many are considered underground classics and several NEW publications are on the short list…
http://lybrary.com/paul-a-lelekis-m-163788.html

Also, Penguin Magic now sells a full line of Paul’s ebooks. If you would like to buy from Penguin, visithttp://penguinmagic.com/ and enter Paul Lelekis in the search box for a full list of the available ebooks..

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Double Vision –  An Impromptu Effect
R.Carruth

I walked through the crowd, smiling, stopping from group to group to introduce myself as their ‘entertainment’. After a little cordial talk, I mentioned the president of the company was paying me big bux’s to put a smile on their faces, so without further conversation, I began my routine… a short one.. but a routine nonetheless..

After a few more laughs and friendly handshakes, I moved on to another group.

Two hours later and nearing the end of the night, my night, I eased up to a table in the corner of the room to ‘get myself together’. I had an odd assortment of props in various pockets, not a one in its original pocket.. A deck of cards in my right jacket pocket had two cards reversed and a couple more crimped. I had a two foot string in my left pocket.. with a large silver ring securely attached, and a multi-colored streamer silk intertwined with the ring, a grey hare, two over sized dice, a folding half-dollar, and a tricked-out thumb tip. And these were just the pockets you could see.   As I begin to sort things out and put them back in their ‘proper’ place, a middle aged gentleman nursing a ‘something on the rocks’, tapped me on the shoulder.. and I jumped.. not scared.. but jumped as if someone were looking over my shoulder while typing my PIN number in a teller machine.

“Yes sir, how are you tonight?” I said, not to enthusiastically, but with a forced smile.

” You the magician guy aren’t you?”  He mumbled through thick lips. His ‘something on the rocks’ was obviously not his first..

” Well, I was the magician guy earlier.. but you caught me coming out the phone booth. ” I replied with a grin. He didn’t catch the Superman analogy, and all I got was a blank stare and bad breath.

” Do me a trick..”

I didn’t want to, but I didn’t know who this gentleman may be.. he might be guy tasked with signing my check for all I knew. So, with my Scotch and Soda a bang ring away from usable and other props in awkward pockets, I decided he would have to be content with a card trick..

” Do you like card magic? ”

” I know how to do card tricks.. I had a book once..” He replied with a know-it-all attitude.

” I’m willing to bet you don’t know this one.. If you do, I’ll buy you a drink.. ” Which wasn’t a bad bet, since there was an open bar..

I picked up the deck with the various upside-down cards and quickly ran through the deck, straightening things out as I went. I also culled two cards and took them to the top. I was determined to keep this short and sweet, with a minimum of fanfare.. but just enough ‘jazz’ to make my buddy happy.

After a couple of faro shuffles, I took my stance and went to work..

I showed him the top card, a Jack of Hearts, and put it back on top of the deck face down.

“Jack of Hearts. For whatever reason, magicians refuse to let a top card lie..” I said, as I took the top card off the deck and buried it into the middle of the deck, assuring him that the Jack of Hearts was now ‘lost deep in the deck’..

I took off the new top card.. and showed it to be the Jack of Diamonds, then replaced it face down on top of the deck.

” Do you believe in hypnotism?  Have you ever been hypnotized?”

He shrugged his shoulders and nodded ‘No’.. which I took to mean no.. but I continued, not missing a beat..

” Believe it or not, the Jack of Diamonds is not actually on top of the deck. I hope you didn’t mind, but I hypnotized you into believing you saw the Jack of Diamonds. I specialize in taking an object, in this case the Jack of Hearts, and making someone believe it to be something very similar.. like the Jack of Diamonds.. ”

I took my right fore finger and ‘drew’ an imaginary ‘J’ and an imaginary heart on the back of the top card. After rubbing the back of the card with my finger to thoroughly imprint my doodle, I slowly lifted the top card to show that it was the original Jack of Hearts.

“The Jack of Hearts never actually left the top of the deck. I convinced your vision to see something that never happened..” I said with total conviction..

The Jack was dropped, face up, on the table, and I slowly lifted the top card to show a ‘Six of something’. I replaced it face down on the deck.

” Sometimes folks get upset with me when I mess with their minds, but honestly, I don’t mean any harm. I do this strictly for entertainment.  Do you mind if I hypnotize you once more? ”

Riffling the corner of the deck, I looked at my buddy to see if I was going to get a reply. He looked at me and nodded toward the deck, as if telling me to flip the top card.

” We know you saw the Six just now, but since I previously implanted the Jack of Diamonds into your imagination, it’s much easier to let you see the Jack of Diamonds again.. OK?”

I slowly drew a ‘J’ and a diamond on the back. I rubbed the back and hesitated a couple of moments to, hopefully, build a little tension.  When I sensed he would become impatient if I waited any longer.. I lifted the top card to show that it was indeed, again, the Jack of Diamonds.

I held it between my thumb and middle finger,  slowly turning the card to show both the front and back. I placed it back on top of the deck and rubbed my finger across its back. In a non-threatening way, I passed the same finger slowly back and forth in front of his eyes once..

” Watch..” (In my best David Blaine imitation..)

Picking up the top card again, I showed it to be the ‘Six of something’, the Jack once again ..gone.

I laid the Six face up on the face down deck. I showed my empty palm to be..empty.

“Sir, there’s a big difference between hypnotism and sleight of hand.. and here is where the sleight of hand happens. Watch the Six..”

I deliberately placed my empty palm over the Six, moved my hand just enough for my audience to get one last glimpse, and then moved my hand to the right.. revealing the Six had changed to the Jack of Diamonds. I took the Jack off the top, (wrist killing the deck), and offered it to my friend. He seemed ill-at-ease to take it, instead extending his forefinger just enough to touch it.

I waited a moment to see if I’d earned a comment, but he turned and walked away. I had hoped for a response of some sort, but I smiled slightly, knowing I had done my best in a impromptu  moment..

After putting the deck in it’s case and doing a quick physical check of my pockets, before going to look for my check.. I felt another tap on the shoulder. This one didn’t surprise me as much..  I turned to see my buddy back.. this time with a female companion..

” Hey magic guy.. hypnotize my friend, will ‘ya.. ”

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I know .. it’s embarrassingly simple. But that’s not the point.  What IS the point?..   It’s that we don’t have to get so wrapped up in technique that we forget how a purely simple effect can entertain our audience. It’s all about the timing, pregnant pauses, and patter.

If you didn’t catch what I did.. I made sure I had the two red jacks second and third down from the top, with an indifferent card on top. I moved them to the top while fanning through the deck to make sure all the cards were upside down.

Now, it was nothing more than a little series of double lifts, concluding with Erdnase’ Color Change.

Double lift and show the Jack of Hearts and replace it on top. Take the top card, seemingly the Jack, and bury it in the deck. Of course, it’s the indifferent card you had on top to begin the effect. Now the Jack of Hearts is on top and the Jack of Diamonds is second down.

Double lift and show the Jack of Diamonds, assuring the spectator that the Jack of Hearts was buried in the deck.  This is an important visual move to alleviate any suspicion that the Jack of Hearts is still on top.

‘Paint’ the back of the top card with a ‘J’ and and heart, then  turn it over to show that the Jack of Hearts has been restored. Lay it to one side..

Now, the top card is the Jack of Diamonds. Double lift again and show the second card down, an indifferent card, and assure them that the J of D was nothing more than an illusion..

‘Paint’ the top card again, with the ‘J’ and a diamond, and slowly turn it to show that the Jack of Diamonds has returned..  Lay it back on top of the deck.

Perform another double lift to show that the Jack has again vanished and the indifferent card is back on top.  Lay the two cards face up on the deck.. and perform the color change. I wrist kill the deck while removing the Jack to conceal the face-up Six.

Simple –  Timing.. Pauses.. Patter..

Several devilishly performed double lifts can be far more impressive than one awkward, complex move.

Create a story about dual reality. Create a story about two Jacks and a Gypsy. Just create a story… and perform it slowly and with mystery..   Sometimes, that’s all you need to mystify your audience.

Rick Carruth

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Werner Miller’s ‘TRICKS WITHOUT NAMES’
Another Mathemagical Medley of Semi-Automatic Tricks

Trick #9

When marching in a single line, the one at the back runs the highest risk. In Germany, they say “Den Letzten beißen die Hunde”, in France “Malheur au dernier”, and the corresponding English proverb is “The devil takes the hindmost”. This gives you a suitable patter theme for the following dealing trick. To represent the devil, use three 6-spots (666 – number of the Beast). Sort them out openly and table them side by side, face up.
pic………..

Hand the deck to the spectator. Ask the spectator to give it a thorough shuffle, then to deal off the top two 7-card packets and discard the remainder of the deck. Instruct your participant to decide on either packet, mix these cards once more, note and remember the final bottom card, and place the packet on top of the other one.

 Pick up the combined packet, false cut it, and start the revelation (Fig. 1): Deal the fourteen cards singly back and forth. The last card goes to the right-hand pile, so cite “The devil takes the hindmost” and place one of the 6-spots face up on top of it thus ruling out the entire pile. Pick up the other pile and deal these seven cards similarly into two new piles. This time, the last card ends up on top of the left-hand pile. Say “The devil takes…” as before, place another 6-spot face up on that pile to eliminate these four cards, too. Three cards remain. Deal them left, right, left, point to the card dealt last (“The devil…”), and place the third 6-spot face up on the pair on your left. This leaves you with a single card. It’s automatically the one that was originally 7th from the top down, i.e., the spectator’s selection. Ask the spectator for the name of the chosen card, then turn it face up.

Alternative Version
You can use fifteen cards as well. After the spectator has dealt two 7-card packets, let him/her pick any card from the balance of the deck, note and remember it, place it on either packet and put the other one on top of it to bury it. Do a false cut, then go into the dealing/eliminating procedure as described above. “Taken by the devil”, it’s always the left-hand pile that drops out (Fig. 2), and you end up with the card that was originally 8th from the top down.

(To Be Continued.)

For more (and more elaborate) math-based magic by Werner Miller visit http://www.lybrary.com/werner-miller-m-7881.html

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Solari’s Miser Miracle  –  A Review

One thing I appreciate about my friend, Bob Solari, is.. he extols the basic rule of marketing – Find a need, and fill it.

Magic exist is many different forms.. Some highly sophisticated, and others virtually self-working. I’ve experienced both, bought both, witnessed both in the hands of professionals and amateurs, and listened to debates about whether or not there are truly any shortcuts in our honored profession. In my opinion, I believe the bottom line is entertainment. It’s hard to argue with a room full of smiles and the resplendent laughter of children.

Bob’s ‘Miser Miracle’ is based on the magic classic, Miser’s Dream. This effect is so ‘classic’ no one can say for sure when it originated. Prof. Hoffmann wrote about it in Modern Magic in the 1870’s. Actually, according to Bobo, Compars Hermann introduced this effect to American in 1861. “When Herrmann went into the audience to borrow a hat, he had one coin, a silver dollar, palmed in his right hand, and as an excuse for keeping the hand closed, he carried his wand. In his left hand he had twenty-five or thirty-five coins.”

Robert Houdin also performed a version, and, interestingly, didn’t take credit for its creation, meaning it existed at least as far back as the mid-1800’s.

Miser’s Dream, like most effects, is extremely entertaining in the right hands. Levent, Chris Capehart, and Jeff McBride have all published extensive DVD’s on the handling. Jeff Hobson’s website featured a wonderful tutorial on the Miser’s Dream, featured in last months Magic Roadshow. The only downside to the Miser’s Dream is.. it requires more than a little practice to make it believable. As I mentioned above, Herrmann ‘palmed’ 25 to 35 coins in one hand to make his version one of the best. Like all great effects, one must invest a great deal of time and effort into this effect if you want to add it to your repertoire.

Bob saw the problem.. and devised a solution. ‘Solari’s Miser Miracle’ puts a very entertaining version within the grasp of the average magician.. without weeks of arduous practice. Please don’t expect to pick up Bob’s version and perform it flawlessly out the box. It won’t happen. There are small nuances you will need a day or two of nominal practice to master… the scripting and routining are your own.. but Bob has devised a prop that allows you to perform a full-blown version with ONE coin.

Everything you need to add Miser’s Dream to your performance is included. After seven or eight regular half dollars are heard to drop in the bucket, a jumbo half-dollar, almost as big as the bottom of the metal bucket (furnished), magically jumps from the bucket, concluding a very audible routine with a very visual surprise.

Although Solari’s Miser’s Miracle is delightful for both adults and children, I’ve found it to be especially entertaining for children. They are mesmerized by the coins from thin air, the clinking and counting of the coins into the bucket.. and the sudden transformation of several normal halves to one very large half.. (If you mis-count the number of halves ‘dropped’ in the bucket, you’ll quickly get quite the argument from the young ones.. until you prove, in one surprising moment, you’re both wrong..)

$29.95.. and Bob says they are now in stock and you can watch a performance video at:

http://bobsolarimagic.com/shop/Solaris-Miser-Miracle

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Penn & Teller’s ‘Fool Us’ –  Every Complete Episode of Season 2

In case you missed one.. or all.. of the FOOL US shows this year, here’s the link to the full season on the CW’s website.. Nothing to download.. just click and enjoy.

1. Season 2 begins with magicians Jon Armstrong, Xavier, Greg Dow and Steve Brundage
2. Magicians Leon and Romy, Mike Hammer, Shin Lim and Peter Boie
3. Magicians Brian Brushwood, Simon Pierro, John Lovick, and Kyle Knight and Mistie
4. Magicians Austin Janik, Amazing Allison, Mac King and Norman Ng
5. Magicians Bill Cook, Wes Barker, Matt Holtzclaw and David Regal
6. Magicians Jay Sankey, Greg Wilson, Trigg Watson and Jen Kramer
7. Magicians Kostya Kimlat, Frederick Falk, Chris Funk and Nate Dendy
8. Magicians Blake Vogt, Joshua Jay, Levent and Ben Seidman
9. Magicians Riley Siegler, Jade, Ran’d Shine and David Roth
10. Magicians Joel and Spidey, Rick Lax, Marcus Eddie and Bruce Gold
11. Magicians Scott and Puck, Eric Jones, Mark Calabrese and Paul Vigil
12. Magicians Victor and Diamond, Francis Menotti, Nash Fung and Chad Juros
13. Season 2 ends with magicians Derek Hughes, Reuben Moreland, Suzanne, and Jared Kopf

http://www.cwtv.com/shows/penn-teller-fool-us/

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Prof. L.A. Harraden’s Complete Mail Course of Twenty Illustrated Lessons in Hypnotism.

I don’t know if Prof. L.A. Harraden was honestly a professor, or just a writer of books.. But I do know that I love these old books, particularly this one. It’s full of classic art from the period and takes you back to a time when one dreamed that ads were, or perhaps could, be true. Charles Atlas, magic glasses, sea horses, and the ability to make any one do whatever you wished.
1books

http://digital.library.villanova.edu/Item/vudl:271265  (view the book in an online viewer.. no download needed)
http://www.loc.gov/resource/rbc0001.2014mcyoung42900  (download the ebook version for safe keeping )

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David London’s ‘Magic Outside The Box’ – Full Show – August 16, 2013

David London’s Magic Outside The Box was filmed at Single Carrot Theatre in Baltimore, MD,
August 16, 2013.  David is the guy referred to by the Washington Post as ” Our favorite mad genius magician”. He is also one of the Roadshows very favorite magicians.. and one we are pleased to be able to offer to you guys. Over one hour and eighteen minutes of highly entertaining magic.

To quote David’s site.. “Combining magic with storytelling, comedy, puppetry, surrealism, philosophy, and that which cannot be defined, David’s Magic Outside The Box Cabaret Show presents an original show of magic unlike anything you have experienced before.”

https://vimeo.com/79349736

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Simply Stebbins –  A Good Guess.. An Effect

David Britland, television consultant, writer, interviewer, and one who understands magic and deception as well as any one I know, writes CARDOPOLIS, a blog dedicated to many aspects of magic. Cardopolis is now in its 13th year, and although David doesn’t publish as often as he did a number of years ago.. when he does publish,  it’s well worth your time to listen..

He recently wrote the following:
“Persi Diaconis has been known to perform a card trick during his mathematical lectures. Five people choose cards from a deck that Diaconis never touches. Diaconis asks the people who have red cards to stand up. They do and Diaconis reveals the names of their cards. He then reveals the names of the remaining five cards. He described the trick in Magical Mathematics, an excellent book co-authored with Ron Graham.”

David then went on to explain to readers how they can accomplish the same magic with a different variation of the method used by Persi.. This read is well worth your time…

http://cardopolis.blogspot.com/2015/07/a-good-guess.html

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For Starters – Three Routines for Children –  Video Tutorial

“For Starters (Three Opening Routines).” Christopher T. Magician Presents! is a video series devoted to sharing tips, ideas, and routines with fellow children’s entertainers. In Episode One, Christopher demonstrates three opening routines he has used (one of which is his current kid show opener) to great success with his young audiences.
Routines featured on this episode:

1. “The Black & White Eye Test” The Performance – 4:33 Behind-The-Scenes – 7:08
2. “Cheat Blendo Rules” The Performance – 9:05 Behind-The-Scenes – 3:16
3. “1225’s” The Performance – 15:10 Behind-The-Scenes – 18:25

https://youtu.be/G-9vsrYM3iE   plus others….

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A Cardini Special –  Card in the Hat..
Werner Dornfield

I found this in ‘Dorny on Trix’.. Some of you may have read this in one form or another. I think I originally read this in a library book many years ago. I tried it.. and the card stuck under the sweatband on its way up and out. (smile).. I’m sure there’s a work-around for this, as the visual of the selected card jumping out the hat is quite nice…

Effect: A card is chosen, replaced in the deck. Deck is placed in upturned fedora, Homberg or similar hat. Hat is held by performer , upside down, of course. Then spectator is asked to name his card. Performer snaps bottom of hat with forefinger and thumb. One card jumps out of hat and is found to be the one selected.

Method: After card has been replaced by spectator , you make the pass. False shuffle if you wish. Place deck in hat. When hand is in hat, place top card on end on one side of the middle fold (crease) in top of the hat and the rest of the deck in the other side of the fold. Now, holding the hat high above your head, snap bottom of hat with forefinger, forcing card to jump out. Now, take a bow..

From:  ‘Dorny on Trix’ –  by Werner C. Dornfield

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Make Matches Disappear – Video
Jay Sankey

I’ve deceived more than a few magicians with this wicked little sleight. It looks really GOOD. Learn it for free today. Hope some of you practice it and have fun ‘making people wonder’ with it.

http://etricks.info/

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Jay Sankey’s ‘Strike Three’ – Video Tutorial

I am not a fan of ‘fast magic’. Like The Professor, I believe most magic should be performed deliberately and with purpose. That said.. there ARE exceptions. Some of the best coin magic begs to be performed quickly, as performing it slowly simply wouldn’t be possible. This is a great example of magic happening fast, and I suspect, an effect that will fast become a favorite.

“The first time I witnessed David Williamson’s jaw-dropping ‘Striking Vanish,’ I couldn’t believe my eyes. I was psyched to add it to my sleight-of-hand arsenal. But even after hours of practice, it still didn’t look ‘quite right’ in my hands.”

“Then I tried it another way, and BOOM! It looked like real magic. Now you can learn the exact details to my version of David’s exceptional technique. PLUS the secrets to my eye-popping ‘Strike Three’ routine…”

https://youtu.be/QPDFOcz3Auw

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How to Train Playing Cards to Attack –  Video Tutorial

You’ve seen the sword stab.. the knife stab.. and even the pencil stab.. But Jay demonstrates a card ‘stab’ using… other cards. It’s not actually a stab.. more like a grab, but it works and it looks good. This is one of the more complicated effects I’ve seen Jay Sankey present, but it’s very performable with a little practice.. and I have no doubt you’ll really like this if you take a moment to watch the video…

http://magicians.website/

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Simple Sandwich Card Trick Tutorial – Video

52Kards presents a nice little sandwich card trick that requires nothing more than bringing a card to the top using your favorite method.. and a double turnover. With the proper patter, you can turn this into a classy go-to impromptu card trick.. Try it out…

https://youtu.be/mdKUnp5_tE4

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17 Easy Magic Tricks That Will Blow Your Kids Mind.. –  Video Tutorials

You probably won’t find anything earth-shattering here, but it’s interesting.. particularly if you perform for children..

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mikespohr/17-simple-magic-tricks-that-will-amaze-your-kids#.ed9p6N1vg

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Mark Twain said, “Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.” Why does the Bible say, “Carry each other’s burdens”? Because one person can only carry a burden so far on their own. American novelist John Kennedy Toole quickly discovered that. As a young writer he worked alone writing a novel in New Orleans. When it was finished he sent it to publisher after publisher, but they all turned him down. Overcome by rejection, he took his own life.

Some time after the funeral, his mother found a coffee-stained manuscript in the attic and took it to a professor at Louisiana State University who agreed to read it. Immediately he recognized its genius and recommended it to a major publisher. After its release, John Kennedy Toole’s novel, A Confederacy of Dunces, won a Pulitzer Prize and was heralded as one of the major novels of the twentieth century. If only he’d surrounded himself with friends who knew how to share his burden, encourage him when he faced rejection, and motivate him to keep going, his life would have turned out very differently.

So the word for you today is—“Find people who believe in you.” Encourage and support them, and welcome their support in return. Spend more time with those who sharpen you and make you better, and less time with those who drain your energy, time, and talent. The truth is, friends who speak encouragement into your life are priceless. Their words are “like apples of gold in settings of silver” (Pr 25:11 NIV).

http://www.theencouragingword.org/

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Touch of Modern

Touch of Modern features a world of cool stuff, sneaky gear, and fashionable threads for the modern man. I’m aggravated that I can go to TOM to look at one item and an hour later I’m still there.. buying ‘stuff’ I didn’t know I needed.. until I saw it on their site. Everything from hi tec key holders to gently used Rolex watches. You owe it to yourself to have a look. There’s no doubt in my mind Roadshow readers will find this site VERY interesting.

https://www.touchofmodern.com/i/6LFV0MLQ

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SIGN UP FOR THE MAGIC ROADSHOW….
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MAGIC NEWS.org
You can get your magic fix on Magic News every week. Don’t wait a month for the next Roadshow. Instead, go to Magic News for the latest, along with the more interesting going-ons in the world of magic. Honestly, no other site publishes the breadth of magic related stories and videos as Magic News.
http://magicnews.org/

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LIKE us on FaceBook.. ( THANK YOU !! to all you Kind Folks who have…)

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That does it for this issue. I hope you found something to help your magic along. Remember, if you have something you would like to share with the magic community, send it to: Rick@MagicRoadshow.com

“Vive Tus Sueños – Live Your Dreams “

Rick Carruth / Editor

Senior Professor – Camelard College of Conjuring of Chemmis, Egypt
“Magic’s Only Worldwide Honor Society”
http://www.camelardcollege.org/

_____________________________________

~ Disclaimers ~
This page may contain affiliate links. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, I may earn a commission on the sale. The price that you pay should not be affected by buying through an affiliate link, and I never use affiliate links if I know they’ll result in a price increase.
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information in the Magic Roadshow is accurate. However, there is no guarantee that you will achieve any particular results using the information provided or any products referenced. Examples in this document are not to be interpreted as promises or guarantees of any particular results.
All information is for education and information purposes only. Seek the advice of a qualified professional before acting on such information. In using this document, you agree that the Magic Roadshow and its publisher, Rick Carruth, are not responsible for your success or failure as a result of purchases made through this site.
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 Joe Bonamassa will be in town in November too, and I’ve got great seats to see Joe. Plus.. I’ve got tickets for the little wife and I to see Penn & Teller the first week of December. October 6th is my 25th wedding anniversary and I’ve been asked if we can spend it quietly in the mountains.. somewhere.

As some of you have noticed, each issue of the Magic Roadshow has a bit of a theme. Oh, certainly I include a little of everything, but I try to have several features that are of the same genre. This month, in celebration of the upcoming Halloween, also known as All Halloween, All Hallows’ Eve, or All Saints’ Eve, I’ve featured a few stories based on either ESP, the supernatural, or pseudo-science. Hope you enjoy…

Thanks for ALL the kind contributions from you guys. It makes life much easier when I don’t have to write all the content and/or dig it from the web.  especially appreciate Paul Lelekis, who always makes sure I have a first rate effect for publication. Miller Werner and  Eliyahu Wincelberg, who contribute monthly features to the Roadshow. And Michael Lyth.. who has allowed me to create a bank of great links submitted for Roadshow readers. You may not see one every month.. but you can be assured I am stockpiling them to unleash on innocent readers in the near future.

Comments and Questions?  EMAIL ME  ( mailto:rick@magicroadshow.com  )
~ In This Issue ~

-Leonard Kho’s version of ‘This, That and the Other’ takes an already strong effect and turbocharges it. It changes a three card packet trick into a full scale, full deck effect.

-Paul Weatherbee performs and explains the original This ‘n That..
-Inside-Out Aces.. Paul Lelekis has created a great effect based on a classic routine by Nate Leipzig called ‘Slap Aces’ and Doc Daley’s ‘Cavorting Aces’..

-Cups and Candy Proposal – A Detailed Tutorial. Our marriage proposal expert, Eliyahu Wincelberg, has come up with a doozie of an effect for the Lady of your Life…

-Werner Miller’s Trick #8 utilizes an ESP deck to accomplish this months ‘effect du jour’..

-POCKETED by Bob Solari is the next to be reviewed on my list of great walk-around products by Bob.

-Lost City Magic – Illusionists, Entertainers, Last Conjurers of the Cherokee. Get out of your lazy boy and see how Bobby Neugin and his son Jeramy Neugin are taking magic to a new level.

-Alexis’ Reviews –  Magic and More. Alexis DE LA FUENTE is a young and talented French magician who loves to guide readers in their magic purchases.

-Master Miser’s Dream Lecture by Gary Darwin – 1 Hour of Great Instructions. This lecture is the end-all of Miser’s Dream lectures…

-Classic video: James Randi exposes psychic fraudster James Hydrick. Very interesting stuff…

-James Hydrick’s Psychic Confession.. This highly informative video follows Hydrick as he attempts to convince an audience of his psychic abilities. This one ends with Hydrick coming clean and offering a full confession of his methods and techniques. Don’t miss this !

-Brian Brushwood..  Scams, Sasquatch, and the Supernatural – Full Lecture

-Magicians and Scams . Brian Brushwood Podcast. Listen now or download..

-Magic Reviewed – Jeff Stone. Direct from Stone Cold Magic & My Lovely Assistant

-Cutting to the Aces – A Handy Sankey Method.. (Video tutorial)

-Melting Coin Thru Bill  –  A Second Video Tutorial from Jay Sankey

-Priority Prediction by Michael Boden (tutorial) .. a worker’s delight if you’re looking for a ‘stop me on any card’ effect that screams of “no sleight of hand.

-DIY – Making a Floating Cane  – Video Tutorial

-How to Make a Card Flower  –  Video Tutorial from 52Kards

-Bruce Cervon’s Elegant Tabled Card Production –  Video Tutorial from 52Kards

-New PSYCRETS publication available from Steve Drury

-9 Crazy Body Hacks That Give You Superhuman Powers.. But Don’t Try These At Home.. Seriously…. By Bob Parks

-AniMusic – A classic animated video revisited..

-Touch of Modern – featuring a world of cool stuff, sneaky gear, and fashionable threads

__________________
“Magic is more believable if it’s not so perfect all the time..” Rick Merrill

“Change your thoughts and you change your world.”  Norman Vincent Peale

“The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism”   Norman Vincent Peale

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This N That Variation
Leonard Kho

This is Leonard’s variation of Stephen Tucker’s ‘This, That and the Other’ card trick. It is a classic card trick.. having been viewed on Youtube by over 15 million viewers… Be sure to watch Paul Weatherbee’s tutorial at the end to get a good grasp of the original performance..

Effect: The magician shows a BLUE-BACKED deck of cards and has the spectator choose one card, sign it, then return it to the deck. The deck is shuffled and the magician places the deck behind his back. After a few seconds, the magician brings the deck to the front and claims to have found the card, showing the bottom card. But it is the wrong card.

The magician offers to find the card using 3 Jokers. He brings out 3 RED-BACKED Jokers from his pocket. Two of them are colored and one of them is in black and white. Then they are shown to be all colored. Then all black and white. Then all colored again. Finally, they are shown to be 3 different cards. One colored Joker, one black-and-white Joker, and the last card is flipped to reveal the spectator’s signed card. Everything (could include the pocket) can be inspected after the trick.

Preparation: Pick a card you are going to force on the spectator, say a 5 of Hearts. Take a blue-backed 5 of Hearts out of a blue-backed deck and replace it with a red-backed 5 of Hearts on the bottom of the deck. Put 2 red-backed Jokers in your pocket, their faces towards you. (One of the two is a black and white joker). The colored Joker will be the one farther from you.

Performance: Force the 5 of Hearts on the spectator without showing its back (e.g. Fan slip force, Riffle force, Hindu shuffle). Never explicitly say that the deck is blue-backed. That way it will look more natural. It is fine for you to see the card..

Usually after forcing the card, I cut it to the bottom of the packet. Now let the spectator sign the card. After that, execute an overhand shuffle retaining the bottom card. Then place the deck and both hands behind your back. Get the bottom card and palm it, its front facing away from your palm.

Show the bottom card confidently while bringing the palming hand to your side. Act like it’s a basic trick, then act like there’s really something wrong when they point out that it’s the wrong card. Then tell them that you can find their card using 3 Jokers. Tell them you’ll get the 3 Jokers first. It is advisable to tell them about the Jokers before you reach into your pocket to lessen the chance that they will suspect that you are putting their card in your pocket (which you are really doing). Place it farthest from you in your pocket then get the 3 red-backed cards. Proceed to do the This n’ That routine, treating the colored Joker as “This,” the black-and-white Joker as “That,” and the selected card as “Other.” Encourage inspection after the trick. The inspection, especially that of the blue-backed deck, adds much to the effect.

Leonard Kho
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The following video explains the basic working of This N That, also known as This, That and the Other. You will learn the handling of the 3 card packet..

This N That Card Trick Explained –  Tutorial

Paul Weatherbee performs and explains the original This ‘n That.. I like Paul and his style. I’d give my third bedroom for a voice like Paul’s. always professional and entertaining. Be sure to look for Paul’s weekly video with a singular performance of a magic classic..

 https://youtu.be/qKsFBb8Agns

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INSIDE-OUT ACES
Paul A. Lelekis

This trick stems from a classic routine by Nate Leipzig called ‘Slap Aces’ and Doc Daley’s ‘Cavorting Aces’, later re-popularized by Larry Jennings and Jim Swain.

My main contribution to this fun routine is the totally unexpected outcome at the end of the effect that will leave the spectator’s with their mouths wide open!
This effect is a real “keeper”!

EFFECT: The magician puts the 2 black Aces in the middle of the deck (you call this the “inside”!) and the red Aces on the top and bottom or the “outside”.
The red Aces keep switching places with the black Aces, finally all 4 Aces gathering together at the end.

METHOD: Remove the four Aces and separate the black Aces from the red Aces.  Place the face-up black Aces together, into the middle of the face-up deck.  Place the red Aces on the top and bottom of the deck.

Phase 1:
Spread the cards, again to display the situation as you get a left pinkie break between the black Aces.  Close up the spread (retaining the pinkie break) as you say, “Remember – the black Aces are on the inside and the red Aces are on the outside!  To make this easier to remember, let’s liken the black Aces on the inside to the seeds of an apple…and let’s say that the red Aces on the outside, represent the red skin of an apple”

(It is important to keep referring to the relative positions of the Aces as being, “…on the inside” and “…on the outside” for the punch-line at the end!)
As you say the patter line above, show the Aces’ relative positions as you get the break between the black Aces.  “Well sure…it’s easy to remember if you’re looking at them!”  As you say this line, turn you body to your left as you perform *Le Paul’s Invisible Turnover Pass. (See video link at bottom)

*NOTE: The reason for turning to the left to perform the Pass is to apparently move the cards from the spectator’s view!  This gives you a cause for your actions.

To perform Le Paul’s IT Pass, get your middle two fingers of the LH into the break between the black Aces, with the left index and pinkie fingers on the bottom of the bottom packet.
As you turn to your left, the left fingers move the bottom packet so that it is perpendicular to the top packet.  The RH is in Biddle grip and hides the action.  Then the LH turns, palm down, completing the pass as your turn to your left! The back of your LH will be toward the audience.  Perform this action smoothly and steadily – no quick movements are needed!  The IT Pass is completely hidden! (See video! Link at bottom)

When the packets have been transposed, ask, “Now that the cards are face down, let’s see if you know what’s on the outside…it only takes a couple of seconds…” (*As you say this, tap the top of your left wrist to indicate your watch).

“…O.K., NOW what’s on the outside – the black Aces or the red Aces?”  The spectator should respond, “…the red Aces!”

*NOTE: Tapping on your left wrist will indicate the time “…a couple of seconds…” and will draw everyone’s eyes to your wrist.  This is very strong (but subtle) misdirection!
I often don’t wear a watch when I perform…but it doesn’t matter!

Whatever the spectator’s response, the performer responds, “That’s right!  The red Aces are on the outside!”  As you say this, turn the deck face up and display that the black Aces are on the outside and the red Aces are on the inside!  You should act as surprised as the spectator!

Spread through the deck to show that the red Aces are now on the inside!  Get another pinkie break, this time between the two red Aces.

Act as confused as the spectators!  This situation will provide ample opportunity for some clever and/or funny “impromptu” patter!

Phase 2:
While there is a mild commotion (this will elicit a strong response!), perform the first half of the **Hermann Pass, which means, the left fingers move the bottom packet, perpendicular to the motionless top packet, (i.e. the 2 packets form a “T”).

**The Hermann Pass is basically the same as LePaul’s pass.  In other words, the bottom packet is brought to the top.  In other passes like the Classic or Jiggle Pass, the top packet is brought to the bottom!

Act as though you are very confused about this situation, looking about, furtively, as you say “…this is really strange!”  Perform the above actions as you say this.

“Don’t feel bad…”   Just as you say this line, your hands move up (separately) and tap your chest as you say, “I thought that the red Aces were on the outside, too!”  This action will completely hide the Pass.

The actual transposition of the packets occurs as your hands move up to tap your chest saying the above line!  The Pass is completely hidden by the greater movement of your hands.
REMEMBER…most spectators will be “compelled” to look up at your face as you move your hands up to tap your chest.
(Remember this little bit of misdirection for other effects!)

The spectators will be stunned at the ‘instantaneous transposition’ even though the performer seems to be oblivious to this situation.  Keep acting as though you don’t realize that the red and black Aces have switched again!

Continue by saying, “Wow!  I thought that the red Aces were on the outside and the black Aces were on the inside, too!”  (The Aces are in the indicated positions and thus the patter becomes quite humorous!)
Spread the deck to display that the black Aces are on the inside and then proceed with the following actions:

Phase 3:
As you say the above line, pull the two black Aces to the right with your right middle finger from beneath and below the spread.  Continue culling them back to your left and to the bottom, below the red Ace on the bottom of the deck.

I normally in-jog the bottom red Ace about ¼” as I cull the black Aces below and close up the spread – this now makes it very easy to get a left pinkie break above all three card!

“Alright – let’s try this one more time!  The black Aces are on the inside (spread the deck very quickly as you display the black Aces in the middle!) and the red Aces are on the outside!”  This spread “reassures” the presence of the black Aces in the middle.

As you say “…the red Aces are on the outside!” show the red Ace on top of the face-up deck and then spread down to the bottom of the deck and display the bottom “red Ace”, (actually a triple with two black Aces!).  Keep the left pinkie break above these three cards.

Now you will repeat the Le Paul IT Pass as you turn to the left, transposing only the three Aces below your left pinkie break.  The LH turns palm down as you turn to your left.

Situation: After the above Pass, all four Aces will be at the face of the deck.  The black Aces will now be ‘sandwiched’ between the red Aces!  This is really easy to do!

Ask, “NOW, without looking, can anyone tell me what is on the outside – the black Aces or the red Aces?”  People will usually say, “…the black Aces!” expecting the switch again!  But no matter HOW the spectators react, respond with the following…
Turn the deck face up and say, excitedly, “Yes!  That’s correct!  The RED Aces are on the outside and the BLACK Aces are on the inside!”

As you say the above line, spread the four cards on the face of the deck to show that the black Aces have moved in between the two red Aces for the big finish!

NOTE: This effect is performed briskly – BUT – it is imperative to be quite clear which color is on the outside and which is on the inside.  The spectators may become a little confused as to what is where, but only the first revelation and the middle revelation need to be clear.  The “APPLE” metaphor will prove to be very helpful with this.

The spectators might become confused by the final revelation – but that doesn’t matter since the appearance of all 4 Aces at the face of the deck will completely preclude the color positions!  It lets the spectators off of the proverbial “hook” and will provide comic relief – and amazement!

https://youtu.be/nTinwhQzOLM    (Hermann Pass)
https://youtu.be/Nfd1gJlQh8I         (LePaul’s Invisible Turnover Pass)

**You can view ALL of Paul’s ebooks, currently 24 and growing, at www.Lybrary.com  .. They are, undoubtedly, some of the best values in all of magic..  Many are considered underground classics and several NEW publications are on the short list…
http://lybrary.com/paul-a-lelekis-m-163788.html

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CUPS AND CANDY PROPOSAL – A Detailed Tutorial
by Eliyahu Wincelberg

Welcome back to my column on proposal magic! I am incredibly excited about this month’s proposal trick. It’s very long but it’s still well worth the read. Honestly, this trick is probably even better than the trick I proposed with. It’s a shame I only thought of this idea so recently…
By the way, check the notes at the end for a quick little bonus proposal trick.

Before we get into it, thank you so much to those of you who sent in your proposal magic tricks last month. For the rest of you, please send me the stories of your magical proposals, how you did it, and any pictures or advice that you have for other people wanting to do this trick as well. In the last issue of this series I will try to print as much of it as I can, hopefully all of it. Please note that I may republish this elsewhere someday so if you don’t want me to share your proposal elsewhere let me know when you send it in.

The real shame of writing this trick is that I don’t know you or your girlfriend and I can’t possibly personalize it for you. The good thing about this trick is that you do know yourself and you know your girlfriend (I hope!) and this trick is SO easy to personalize. I am just going to give you the basic idea- which is honestly phenomenal and totally worth proposing with on its own and I will try my hardest to show you where you can personalize it at the end to make it among the greatest proposals the world has ever seen.

Basically, this is a cups and balls using items that are meaningful to you that follows a meaningful storyline- the story of your relationship- and ends with her ring appearing.

(Editors note.. I’ve compiled the story into a pdf file, as it includes about 20+ pictures to give you a complete understanding of Eliyahu’s effect.. which is a great effect – marriage or not.)

Click Here

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Werner Miller’s Tricks Without Names –  Another Mathemagical Medley of Semi-Automatic Tricks..

Trick #8

You need an ESP deck (cyclically stacked as usual). The spectator cuts the deck and removes the final top card as his/her selection.

Take the deck and deal off the top seventeen cards in pairs into a new pile (eight pairs and a single card); discard the remaining cards.

Turn the top card and the bottom card of the 17-card pile face up, leaving each card where it was. Both cards are showing the same symbol, but this symbol does not match the selection. Let’s assume that the spectator selected symbol #1, so that the two face-up cards are both showing symbol #3. A duplicate of the spectator’s selection is 9th from the top down. (Click on image to see fig. A.)

 Announce that the two face-up cards will find the spectator’s chosen symbol. Deal the cards of the 17-card pile singly back and forth. You get a 9-card pile on the left and an 8-card pile on the right (see fig. B). The two face-up cards end up both in the left-hand pile (one on top of it, the other one on the bottom), so pick it up and repeat the dealing with that nine cards. This time you get five cards on the left and four cards on the right (Fig. C). As before, it is the left-hand pile that contains the two face-up cards, so pick it up and deal once more: left, right, left, right, left. The two face-up cards are still on the left, and they are sandwiching a single card. Slide it out and turn it over: It’s a duplicate of the spectator’s selection!

Extended Version
Let two spectators (A, B) participate. Spectator A cuts the deck and removes the top card, then spectator B removes straight away the next card. Let’s assume that A got symbol #5, B symbol #1.

Reveal the B’s symbol first, by following the above description. Then assemble the three discard piles from right to left (Fig. e), turn the two face-up cards face down and place them on top of the combined pile, and put the duplicate of B’s card (symbol #1) face up on top of all. Snap your fingers, lift up the packet and show the face of the bottom card: It’s also B’s symbol. Turn that card over and return it face up to the bottom of the pile. In our example, the order of the symbols is now 1-3-3-2-5-2-3-4-5-2-4-1-3-5-2-4-1, from the top down.

You are now ready to let the two replicas of B’s symbol find A’s symbol. Simply repeat the dealing and eliminating (Fig. b, Fig. c, Fig. d), and you end up with symbol #5 trapped between the two face-up cards.

(To Be Continued.)

For more (and more elaborate) math-based magic by Werner Miller visit http://www.lybrary.com/werner-miller-m-7881.html

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POCKETED.. My thoughts..
R.Carruth

POCKETED by Bob Solari is the next to be reviewed on my list of great walk-around products by Bob. Let me say first that I am reviewing a number of Bob’s products because we are both in agreement as to what we like and the type of magic we both like and need. Sometimes I’m encouraged to purchase magic for specific reasons.  I perform in restaurants. I have a friend with three, and I have a standing invite to perform whenever my schedule allows. So.. my preferences for magic tends to gehaw with Bob’s..  POCKETED is a perfect example of the type magic that makes Bob a high roller in the magic world, and my job a pleasure.

First, a card is freely selected from the deck. No force. After the card is signed by the spectator and returned to the deck, the magi makes the brave statement that the spectators card is somehow now in his right jacket pocket. After a bit of comedy, the spectator finds a card saying “Your Card”. After apologizing for the mis-understanding, the magi asks the spectator to check the left pocket. Again they find a comedy card, and after another funny moment they are led to the right breast pocket. This reveals a third card that instructs the spectator that the card is actually in the inside breast pocket. Now, with NO PALMING, the magi opens his jacket and slowly pulls the signed card from the pocket. It’s ‘almost’ as simple as that..

Using a well-constructed gaff, everything is performed in a way that allows you to get the card to the pocket without pulls, wires, or palming. You can perform this your first time. I’m not recommending you do so, but you physically can.. To get an impressively smooth effect, you need to practice. Not much.. in this case, but enough to make you confident. Enough to make you secure in where you’re going with what, and to which pocket. Watch Bob perform POCKETED on a video he’s provided on the order page and you’ll see just how easy it is to perform.. and it will look just like what you see.

Bob will provide you with multiple gaffs, which work together like magic to create… magic. There’s no doubt you’ll find other uses for these gaffs too. Everything packs super small to help folks like me who value pocket space. And since it can be ‘almost’ immediately repeated, it earns a spot in my repertoire. POCKETED is one of those special tricks that’s MONEY in the bank..

 http://bobsolarimagic.com/shop/Pocketed?keyword=pocketed&category_id=0

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Lost City Magic – Illusionists, Entertainers, Last Conjurers of the Cherokee

What do you get when you combine Indian lore, Cherokee tradition and shaman magic with illusions, stage magic and street magic? You get the magic of LOST CITY MAGIC.

Oklahomans  Bobby Neugin and his son Jeramy Neugin have performed magic in one form or another most of their lives. With roots deep in the Cherokee Nation of western North Carolina, they were born among a family of medicine people, a rain dancer, and amateur magicians.

Despite the lineage, Bobby and Jeramy consider themselves the only duo in the world performing their unique combination of magic. “We’re Cherokee. And the only Cherokee magicians. We study our myths and legends to incorporate them..”

Unlike many magicians, they rarely perform shows for children, as most of their effects are created with adults in mind. Some are sophisticated illusions similar to those performed on TV, but with their unique angles added; and others are based on Cherokee tradition and lore. One is based on Shape shifters who can change into other creatures. Another on Giant Waspers, and yet another on the Small People who followed the Cherokee from North Carolina to their Oklahoma tribal jurisdiction. They also use razor blades, fish hooks through the cheeks, and other adult oriented effects they don’t want children to emulate.

Other effects utilize ghosts, spirits, and a devil-of-an-assistant to communicate with the audience. It’s easy to understand why they primarily perform for an older audience.

Bobby would like to eventually find a central location for performing their brand of magic. Ideally, they would perform in a theater type sitting which would allow them to set up and stay put. Jeramy would also like to offer lessons, teaching others what he and his father have so meticulously honed and cataloged through the years.

Part of the joy of magic is being able to create, script, and carry out unique performances, and with the amazing history of the Cherokee Indians as a backdrop, Bobby and Jeramy certainly have a corner on a culturally rich source of material to entertain and enthrall audiences for many, many years to come.

They have been featured in both VANISH magazine (Issue#11) and MSM- MagicSeen Magazine (Feb. 2014) . In addition, they have appeared on too many TV shows to mention and an ever-increasing variety of print publications. I encourage you to go to their website and check out both the many pictures and links to articles and TV clips. Perhaps you will be one of us who can say “Oh yeah.. I knew about Lost City Magic BEFORE they were a household name..”

Be sure to Google ‘lostcitymagic’ (one word) to find links to the MagicSeen and the Vanish magazines. Both are available online..

Father & son Illusionists, Mystics, Shamans, Last Conjurers of the Cherokee. Performing Magic based on Ghost stories & Legends…
http://www.neugin.vpweb.com/

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Alexis’ Reviews –  Magic and More

Alexis DE LA FUENTE is a young and talented French magician. Although French, Alexis writes with a very good English reflection. Like my friend Jim Canaday, Alexis is one of the very lucky few who has been hand-picked by Murphy’s Magic to review the very latest magic available.

Although Alexis’ blog is in English, he has a special section featuring magic reviews via videos.. all in French.

“Some of you might already know that I’m writing quite a lot of reviews, only to help people to decide whether a trick is worth their time and money. I spent quite some time building a website up to host those reviews and I hope you will enjoy it. Feel free to tell me what do you think of it, if you spot any English errors (English isn’t my first language) and what could be improved !”

Recent reviews include:
“Change” by Lloyd Barnes
“Boxpad” by Gary Jones and Chris Congreave
“Hole 2.0” by Mickael Chatelain
“Marker” by Wiliam Houcke
“Spark” by Maxence Vire
“Screen Test” by Steeve Dimmer
“Diception” by Chris Congreave

After a thorough review, ONE of the above products was rated as:
“One of the worst project/product I’ve seen in a long time, definitely not worth it, please don’t buy it, you will be disappointed because YOU CAN’T USE THE GIMMICKS ! 0/4 hearts, one of my first really bad review in a long, long time, I really hope products like that will disappear from the market.”
http://lesavisdalexis.wix.com/reviews

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Master Miser’s Dream Lecture by Gary Darwin – 1 Hour of Great Instructions.

This lecture is the end-all of Miser’s Dream lectures. If you want to know anything about the trick, this is the only lecture you will need. Gary gives you every aspect of the trick down to the details of types of coins, moves, buckets, methods, and routines. I guarantee that no matter what your magical status is – amateur or professional – you’ll learn something here and get inspiration to perform the trick even if you’ve never before.

If you live in Las Vegas, you know the name of Gary Darwin. He’s a legend here. His knowledge of magic goes beyond almost everyone I’ve ever met. He goes over each detail of this classic of magic.

This video is available via Jeff Hobson’s choice collection of magic videos. Many of the original interviews from The Lecture Network are posted here free of charge. Also, some of Jeff’s vintage magic performances and other magicians that were included on the Hobson Enterprises production of Tom Mullica’s BASH video (1979-1984) are available for viewing here. To watch this video and others, you need to sign up for Jeff’s newsletter FREE at his site, where you will receive the password to watch these great videos..
http://HobsonsChoiceMagic.com

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Classic video: James Randi exposes psychic fraudster
By Mark Frauenfelder  for Boing Boing

“I watched An Honest Liar this weekend on Netflix. It’s a Kickstarter funded documentary about James “The Amazing” Randi, the accomplished magician who became famous for exposing charlatans. I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it. Before watching this I didn’t appreciate Randi because he seemed crabby, but this documentary cleared up that dumb false impression I had.

The documentary included a bit about the time Randi debunked James Hydrick, a guy who claimed to have the power of telekinesis. This happened on a 1981 episode of That’s My Line, hosted by Bob Barker. Here’s a longer segment from the show.”

Visit the link to watch the 18 minute video with Bob Barker, James Randi, James Hydrick, and three judges. Very interesting..

http://boingboing.net/2015/07/21/classic-video-james-randi-exp.html

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James Hydrick’s Psychic Confessions..

This highly informative video follows Hydrick as he again attempts to convince an audience of his psychic abilities. Unlike the video above, this one ends with Hydrick coming clean and offering a full confession of his methods and techniques. Based on magic tricks he witnessed as a youth, Hydrick took magic a step further and convinced many that he possessed psychic abilities and godly qualities.

When he finally opens up, it’s obvious he is ‘basically’ telling the truth and is actually joyful in his reveal. He talks of those who wished to use him to solidify cults and win religious conversions. He himself ‘converted’ fellow prisoners while incarcerated to gain favors. Praying, he would ask God to give the inmate a ‘sign’.. and pages of the Bible would begin to turn themselves.

On a personal note, I have been in a position through years in law enforcement to have had the opportunity, if that’s the right word, to converse at length with men charged with heinous crimes. Like Hydrick, several had extremely affable personalities and detailed stories of both their troubled youth and their life of ‘crime’. I can tell you this… some of their stories are nothing more than fantasies, thought up during years of incarceration. Others are, as I mentioned earlier, ‘basically’ the truth; told as a method of expunging the soul. Decide for yourself. And for the record, here is his ‘accomplishments’ throughout the 80’s and to the present…

“Hydrick was convicted of kidnapping and torture in 1977. He escaped incarceration three times: he kicked through a concrete wall in a Georgia jail, broke through gates at a South Carolina prison, and finally, in 1982, he pole-vaulted over a fence at a state prison in Utah.”

“Throughout the 1980s, Hydrick was arrested repeatedly for crimes ranging from burglary to assault. Despite his difficult background and ongoing legal troubles, Hydrick gained prominence for his karate and sleight-of-hand tricks, earning national television exposure and a cult following. He claimed he was able to use psychokinesis to turn the pages of books and make pencils spin around on desks, among other feats. Hydrick also set up martial arts classes and claimed he could pass on the gift of psychokinesis to children through special training techniques..

“Wanted on an outstanding warrant, Hydrick was apprehended after police saw him discussing psychic powers on the Sally Jessy Raphael talk show. In 1989, Hydrick was sentenced to 17 years for molesting five boys in Huntington Beach, California. After serving his sentence, he was remanded to Atascadero State Hospital for treatment under the state’s sexually violent predator law. He now resides at the Coalinga State Hospital. Hydrick petitioned for release in May 2013, but a trial resulted in a hung jury.”  www.Wikipedia.com ..

If you have any interest in the human condition, drama, personalities, deceit, and life on the edge of both fantasy and reality, watch this video…
https://youtu.be/30o7_iy-O1g

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Brian Brushwood..  Scams, Sasquatch, and the Supernatural – Full Lecture

Ever wonder how those guys on TV seem to talk to the dead? What about ESP and psychic surgery? How do street scams and cons work? Want to know how folks trick others into believing they have psychic powers?

“quackery/lies/tricks/scams of astrology, ESP, dowsing, supernatural, psychic surgery, psychokinesis, UFOs, paranormal phenomena by promoting skepticism.” … these are some of the subjects touched on by Brian in this interesting and entertaining video.

https://magicroadshow.com/brianbrushwood.php

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Magicians and Scams . Brian Brushwood Podcast

“On this episode of the You Are Not So Smart Podcast, we discuss the folk practitioners of cognitive science with magician and scam expert Brian Brushwood. In the conversation, we explore a wide-range of ideas from how card tricks can be a gateway to better critical thinking to why most psychics end up tricking themselves into believing in their own bullshit. We also discuss why people fall for scams of all sizes, how to avoid them, and why most magicians can spot a fraudster a mile away.”

An hour plus podcast, (nothing to download) featuring Brian Brushwood and David McRaney as they discuss scams and the minds of magicians. David McRaney is a journalist and self-described psychology nerd, and Brian Brushwood tours the world giving lectures that mix comedy with stage and close-up magic designed to deliver an overall message about how to better navigate a world filled with scams, frauds, pseudoscience, and paranormal beliefs.  Note: there is a little ‘overlap’ of the material on the above video and at the first of this podcast.. not to worry.. it’s marginal.
 http://boingboing.net/2015/08/17/what-magicians-con-artists-a.html

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Magic Reviewed   –   Jeff Stone

“My Name is Jeff Stone, and I’ve spent the past several years writing reviews for My Lovely Assistant as well as my self-published e-zine, Stone Cold Magic Magazine. In that time and over the course of a few hundred reviews, I’ve developed a reputation for not pulling any punches when it comes to magic products.”

“My reviews may even come across as cranky to some. While it’s not my intention to be cranky, it is my intention to inform the magic community as a whole what’s good and what’s bad – in my opinion. My hope is to save my readers a few painful purchases and to help keep that magic junk drawer from filling up.”

If you want an honest opinion of name brand magic, this is definitely one of the best sites to find it.

http://magicreviewed.com/

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Cutting to the Aces – A Handy Sankey Method..

Jay Sankey’s intent on teaching you how to ‘help’ you spectator cut to the 4 Aces. He does, and you can too. Nice, almost impromptu trick. It does require a set-up, but you can set it up almost under the spectator’s nose..

http://magicians.website

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Melting Coin Thru Bill  –  Video Tutorial from Jay Sankey

Nice, quick trick from Jay Sankey. This is ideal for restaurant work, as it gives you a good reason to get the customers money in play. Watch the video and try it out..
http://www.etricks.info/

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Priority Prediction by Michael Boden (tutorial)

To quote Hocus Pocus..”Priority Prediction is a worker’s delight if you’re looking for a ‘stop me on any card’ effect that screams of “no sleight of hand”. Premising on the late Don Alan’s Big Deal effect, Priority Prediction allows you to openly show the front and back of the prediction at any time during the effect.

http://magicians.website

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DIY – Making a Floating Cane  – Video Tutorial

A simple woodworking project and cool illusion using just a 1/2″ wood dowel, weighted on one end. You can make this without any fancy tools.

https://youtu.be/sj7zlaUiUAE

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How to Make a Card Flower  –  Video Tutorial
52Kards

52Kards shows you how to turn a deck of cards into a flower.. of sorts.  Although it actually appears to be more like 26 leaves, it’s the idea that counts. Regardless, it’s a nice flourish. Also, It’s very easy to assemble. This is NOT a real DIY type project… just a little something you can put together quickly with an old deck of cards..

https://youtu.be/HfGQK_sgsG0

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Bruce Cervon’s Elegant Tabled Card Production –  Video Tutorial
52Kards

If you can do a tabled riffle shuffle, you can perform this very nice tabled card production. This looks like a production that’s a first cousin to a flourish, but when you put a selected card in the deck, cut it, and then make the selected card dance out of the deck.. it’s a production. You can do this. I did it reasonably well the first time, but I wouldn’t use it until its been practiced for a little while.  Check it out…

https://youtu.be/1ms9TriIF9o

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New PSYCRETS publication available

PSYCRECY 1 is a hardback, 320 page mysterium of essays, effects and routines taken from the first volume issues of PSYCRETS (British Society of Mystery Entertainers) quarterly printed membership digest. It also features some previously unpublished and revised bonus material from members and friends of the Society.

Featuring 38 contributions from the field of mentalism, bizarre magick and psychic entertainment, the contributors include Barrie Richardson, Marc Salem, Banachek, Roni Shachnaey, Lior Manor, Peter Turner, Pablo Amira, Michael Murray, Atlas Brookings, Anthony Blake (USA), Mauricio Jaramillo, Chris Rawlins, Steve Drury, Ben Cardall, Christian Chelman, Prof. BC, Todd Landman, Sheila Lyon, Enrique Enriquez, Perry Carpenter, Dee Christopher, Christopher Taylor, Cameron Murray, Rainer Mees & Thomas Heine, Stuart Palm, Bob Percy, Luca Volpe, Stephen Young, Walt Anthony, Jim Magus, Vito Gatullo, Rudolf Kunzli, Mitos Odnalor, Ray Doetjes, Christopher Faria, Lars Ruth and Alan Jones

Foreword by Roni Shachnaey  –   Publishing Editor : Steve Drury
Further details and free contents preview : http://www.stevedrury.com/Magicians_Only/magicians_only.html

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9 Crazy Body Hacks That Give You Superhuman Powers
But Don’t Try These At Home.. Seriously…. By Bob Parks

Ever considered embedding a super small magnet under your skin? It can certainly add a layer of mystery to your PKability..  I found this article in Popular Science and though I’d share…

“Gamers often perform repetitive tasks to improve their character’s skill set, gain rewards, and advance to new levels. The process is known as grinding: Now, an underground movement has taken up that expression, calling themselves grinders, and they’re trying to gain some of those same superskills—only in real life by hacking their bodies.”
“To cynics, the upgraded-self movement—aka body hacking—can seem a reckless and narcissistic pursuit. After all, treating your body like a home science kit can have serious consequences (scarring, bleeding, pain on the scale of passing out). Yet tinkering with human hardware is a centuries-old pursuit. Bolting titanium plates onto problem spines has become downright common. Today’s transhumanists take it further. They seek to extend the senses and co-mingle them, allowing themselves to do things like detect Wi-Fi, hear colors, sense magnetic north, and see in the dark.”

http://www.popsci.com/9-body-hacks-superhuman-powers?image=2

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Animusic HD – Resonant Chamber

A Classic Video – viewed by millions through the years. Magical in its own way..
https://youtu.be/XlyCLbt3Thk

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Touch of Modern

Touch of Modern features a world of cool stuff, sneaky gear, and fashonable threads for the modern man. I’m aggravated that I can go to TOM to look at one item and an hour later I’m still there.. buying ‘stuff’ I didn’t know I needed.. until I saw it on their site. Everything from hi tec key holders to gently used Rolex watches. You owe it to yourself to have a look. There’s no doubt in my mind Roadshow readers will find this site VERY interesting.

https://www.touchofmodern.com/i/6LFV0MLQ

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C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien

If you’re wise you’ll surround yourself with people who support you emotionally and spiritually, and you can share your dreams and ideas with them. C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien were members of The Inklings, an informal literary discussion group associated with Oxford University. It comprised teachers, writers, and friends who met regularly at a well-known Oxford pub to discuss passages from their favorite books as well as their own writings.

In 1936, they decided the world needed more novels that had faith and morality as their central theme. Lewis and Tolkien decided to write science fiction after realizing the inferior quality of similar stories being published at the time. They literally tossed a coin to decide who would write a book on space travel versus time travel. Tolkien got the time travel nod, but his early efforts with such a story never really worked out. Later, however, he would achieve great success with The Lord of The Rings.

Lewis wrote his famous series of novels called The Space Trilogy, and from that momentum he eventually penned The Chronicles of Narnia. Now, you may not reach that level of success, but you’ll go farther with the encouragement of TRUE FRIENDS than you will without it. So ask yourself what’s involved in cultivating the kinds of friendships that’ll help you fulfill your God-given potential. It may mean coming out of your shell and reaching out to others. Could you encounter hurt and rejection? Sure! But you’ll only succeed if you’re willing to take that chance.

http://theencouragingword.com

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SIGN UP FOR THE MAGIC ROADSHOW….

Remember.. signing up for the Magic Roadshow Journal of Magic is Totally FREE. There is NO obligation and your email is 100% safe. (I don’t even share it with my closes fellow magicians..) You will be notified each month when a new issue of the Roadshow publishes and you can unsubscribe with one click.
Subscribe Here.. https://magicroadshow.com

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MAGIC NEWS.org

You can get your magic fix on Magic News every week. Don’t wait a month for the next Roadshow. Instead, go to Magic News for the latest, along with the more interesting going-ons in the world of magic. Honestly, no other site publishes the breadth of magic related stories and videos as Magic News.
http://MagicNews.org

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LIKE us on FaceBook..  ( THANK YOU !! to all you Kind Folks who have…)

http://www.facebook.com/magicroadshow
http://www.facebook.com/themagicnews

Magic Bullets from the Magic Roadshow – Our first 6 years of the Roadshow Blog..
http://streetmagic.info/blogger.html
______________

That does it for this issue. I hope you found something to help your magic along. Remember, if you have something you would like to share with the magic community, send it to: Rick@MagicRoadshow.com

“Vive Tus Sueños – Live Your Dreams “

Rick Carruth / Editor

Senior Professor – Camelard College of Conjuring of Chemmis, Egypt
“Magic’s Only Worldwide Honor Society”
http://www.camelardcollege.org/

~ Disclaimers ~

This page may contain affiliate links. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, I may earn a commission on the sale. The price that you pay should not be affected by buying through an affiliate link, and I never use affiliate links if I know they’ll result in a price increase.

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information in the Magic Roadshow is accurate. However, there is no guarantee that you will achieve any particular results using the information provided or any products referenced. Examples in this document are not to be interpreted as promises or guarantees of any particular results.

All information is for education and information purposes only. Seek the advice of a qualified professional before acting on such information. In using this document, you agree that the Magic Roadshow and its publisher, Rick Carruth, are not responsible for your success or failure as a result of purchases made through this site.

So, although I love compliments, I love knowing your thoughts too. You would be surprised at the MAJOR changes I’ve made based on a single email. Really…

Comments and Questions..  EMAIL ME  ( rick@magicroadshow.com )

PDF Version…  ROADSHOW 169

-I hope you guys are ready for some serious magic. If you don’t know how to perform a workable second deal, you will by this time next month, thanks to Paul Lelekis. Plus, Paul is going to teach you a very cool effect using your new second deal..

–Nate Ipock’s rendition of Henry Christ’s trick, ‘Stop When Ready’ will give you a very serviceable ACAAN you can perform impromptu.

–Eliyahu Wincelberg and I agreed to a series of articles on Proposing with Magic. This is the first of several really intriguing tricks to win her heart.. with magic.

–Paul Daniels will inform and entertain for a solid hour in a podcast hosted by Luis de Matos. You definitely don’t want to miss this!

–Jay Sankey will teach you the difference between being a professional and an amateur via a slick card trick. Plus.. I found a very good Ambitious Card Trick Variation Tutorial where a signed card rises to the top of a rubber band encased deck..

–Michael Boden will teach you a little bit of everything.. seriously. I’ve run across 50+ video tutorials from Michael you’ll love..

–Michael Ammar will teach you a special ‘sleeve aces’ trick

–FernandoP1 will teach you a very delightful sleight. Plus, a classic torn and restored thread routine.

–Teller will give you his thoughts on Revealing Magic

–Jim Canaday and myself will offer our opinions on a couple of commercial effects.

-Do You Know How to Convert an iPhone into a Hologram Projector? Watch this video and learn a really simple method.

-Plus, you’ll be privvy to a special offer , courtesy of Trickshop, that will keep you engrossed in magic for a solid month. And remember, aside from my special Trickshop offer, everything is au gratis.

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Remember.. you should always strive to be yourself… unless you can be Batman.. in which case you should strive to be Batman….   Carolyn (my wife) and others..

“Spectacular achievement is always preceded by unspectacular preparation.”
Robert H. Schuller

“Never cut a tree down in the wintertime. Never make a negative decision in the low time. Never make your most important decisions when you are in your worst moods. Wait. Be patient. The storm will pass. The spring will come..”  Robert H. Schuller
_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
THE STRIKE SECOND DEAL TUTORIAL – AN EFFECT & A VIDEO
Paul A. Lelekis

===>>> The Strike Second Deal Video:  https://youtu.be/p3N76EP2GTQ
(Please note, this is an UNLISTED video and intended only for our readers.)

The “second deal” has been rarely explored by card practitioners as having a viable use in magic routines.  This is too bad since I consider card mechanics and card sleights to be very close “cousins” of each other.

Many feel that it requires a profound amount of skill and years and years of actual use to make it practical – in fact, this is NOT the case.

I will explain how the Strike Second Deal has built-in misdirection, and also how you can add further misdirection to make this sleight almost undetectable.

Many, if not most magicians, can attain a level of mastery over the second deal that will provide many applications in card magic.  It doesn’t require years and years of mastery as many might think…if you are instructed properly.

I learned magic and card mechanics the hard way…through years and years of study from the old books and doing my best to apply them to the “real world”.

I have mentioned, in a number of my e-books, at Lybrary.com within my instructional INTRODUCTIONS, about how badly I performed when I was young, using myself as a “human guinea pig”, trying my best to learn the proper methods of performance.

The same holds true for card mechanic skills like the Strike Second Deal.  I DID learn from my mistakes and possibly created my own particular techniques which may not seem to be “main-stream” technique…but work very well for me.

The below instructions and effect will be explained from a right-hand point of view.  Since I am ambidextrous, I would learn new things like, card magic and working with tools on my dad’s job sites (he was a building contractor), with either hand, and finally settled on a right-hander’s perspective since all the old magic books assumed that one was right-handed.

To this day, I handle all construction tools (and tools when I worked in surgery) with either hand equally well.  If I had a problem hammering a nail in a corner (builders know what I’m talking about!), I would just switch hands…it is very convenient for me.

When I worked in surgery, I would sew or use a scalpel with either hand…the surgeons used to ask me if I was right-handed or left-handed – in this incidence, I didn’t have a preference…in surgery, the same “difficulties of “getting into certain cramped places” would apply as with home building.

*Please note that the accompanying video provides a view of what the Strike Second Deal looks like from the spectators’ perspectives and the various types of deals.

First, some instruction on the basics of the Strike Second Deal:

Allow me to begin by first saying, that the Strike Second Deal is a “knacky” thing that requires some guided practice…but when you “get the feel” of it, you can actually perform it without even thinking about it.  It is easier than you might think.

HOLDING THE DECK:

Begin by placing the deck in a low in dealer’s grip, so that the tip of your left thumb reaches very close to the outer right corner of the deck. (See video)

Everybody’s hands are different so you need to learn where the exact spot is, in your hand.  The left thumb should be very close to the outer short edge of the deck with your left thumb tip near the outer right corner of the deck.  The left index finger should straddle the outer short end.

Just a little bit of the outer edge of the deck will be visible from your perspective.  THIS is called Mechanic’s Grip.

I’ve seen videos from young “performers” (claiming to be experts) who don’t even know the difference between Dealer’s Grip and Mechanic’s Grip – to them, EVERY grip is Mechanic’s Grip…I suppose because it sounds “cool”.

Dealer’s Grip is the way you hold the deck in your left hand when you might deal a game of cards.  Mechanic’s Grip is very specific, and is ALMOST exclusively used when one performs a Strike Second Deal.  There are a couple of exceptions.

As the deal begins, your left thumb will push the top card over, to your right (just a little bit), and, just as your right thumb engages the deck, your left thumb will THEN in-jog (or angle-jog) the top card over to your right, just a tiny bit more.  Only practice will show you HOW MUCH to in-jog the top card.

NOTE: The amount of in-jog of the top card will decrease as you gain proficiency.

DEALING:

AT THIS POINT, you can perform a normal second deal, or you can “sail” the card, or you can perform a Stud Second Deal as you can see in my provided video.

The Stud Second Deal is actually the easiest deal to perform.  The included trick (below) uses the Stud Second Deal in a very effective manner!

NOTE: For those who are unsure what a Stud Deal is, it is dealing the “top card”, face up, onto the table.  The dealing of some cards, face-up, in certain games of poker, will reflect on the name of that game…i.e., Stud Poker.

When a Stud Second Deal is performed, you will naturally “wrist kill”, or “necktie” the deck, so that the TOP of deck is, momentarily, out of the spectators’ views.

Since the top of the deck is basically hidden for only a fraction of a second, your in-jog of the top card can become more pronounced, ensuring an easy “strike”.

Earlier I mentioned, “Sailing” the cards, or dealing the cards by tossing each, outward, with a spin.  The card will land away from your dealing hand.

This type of deal is common when dealing out a large number of hands and you can’t easily reach the spectators.  “Sailing” the cards has an aesthetic quality and is visually pleasing…and it also makes the Second Deal easier to mask.

Lastly, the regular Second Deal is dealing the cards down from the deck, next to each hand dealt out.  I recommend “Sailing” cards as opposed to a regular Second Deal, until you become proficient in the normal Second Deal.

MOVEMENT OF YOUR HANDS AS YOU DEAL:

To further mask your Second Deals, you will need to develop a “rhythm” to your deals without any pauses.

I developed a certain way to false deal cards when I was young, but I didn’t expect to see the more famous dealers like Darwin Ortiz, Martin Nash, and more recently Steve Forte and Jason England, deal differently than I did!

These men would keep the left hand relatively still when the right hand dealt off their cards.  This made me wonder if I was doing something wrong, until I saw another amazing card mechanic and magician, Jack Carpenter, false deal!

Mr. Carpenter even recommended to keep the deck-holding hand, moving back and forth as you deal, to further mask the false deals.  I was vindicated!

I have been performing my methods of false dealing for a very long time, starting back from about 1979 to 1983 when I was an “underground gambler”.  For a number of years, I made my living by playing poker and shooting pool.  It was a rough life…in fact I’ve even been shot at before…but I made a lot of money.

This “swaying” motion of the left hand (to the left and right), holding the deck as I deal, looks natural, and further masks the second deals.  (See video)

NOTE: Instead of talking more about the “movement of your hands” while dealing, just take a look at my provided video to see how I do it.
It should become a naturally-appearing motion, and, with practice, will become easy to do.  I do the same “hand swaying” when I perform bottom deals.

WEATHER:

I have spent most of my career in Florida where the climate “swings widely” between very dry (winter time) and very, very humid (most of the time!).

When the weather is dry, it is sometimes difficult to deal the cards because your fingers have little “traction”, and when it is very humid, the cards become “sticky”.

Both incidences make false dealing a challenge.  If you know you are going to perform, make sure that you rub some moisturizing lotion on your hands beforehand if the weather is cold and dry.

You DON’T want to have to moisten your hands with saliva…but I have, and STILL do it…but only when the spectators are NOT looking.

Sometimes I’ll mask my moistening by pretending to cough or clear my throat.  My hands “cover” my mouth as polite society requires.  You have to be sneaky!

If the weather is very warm and you’re not within an air-conditioned building, the hot sticky weather makes the cards swell and becomes a real problem.

However this situation is a little easier to deal with.  One way you can help with the “stickiness” problem, is to dribble the cards between your hands and/or spring the cards from one hand to the other to aerate them.  This will help.

THE SIGHTS AND SOUNDS:

This is VERY IMPORTANT to learn.  Learning to false deal requires that your regular deals and your false deals LOOK AND SOUND ALIKE!

This doesn’t mean making your false deals (second deals, here) sound like your regular deals…it means finding a “sound” that is in-between the two sounds.

In other words, it is easier to make your regular deals and false deals, sound alike by finding a sound that is in-between the sound of BOTH DEALS.  This means “finding” a compromise…a sound, that will make both deals sound similar.

This will require some practice…but it is NOT that difficult to do.

Let me give you an adage that I’ve taught to magicians for at least 20 years:

“Everyone watches where the card is laid…NOT from where the card is played!”

What this moniker implies is that people’s eyes (even magicians!) always follow the card that is dealt to the table – NOT at your hands!  This is absolutely true!

If you don’t believe me, just observe the next time you deal out cards in either a magic trick or playing a game of cards.  EVERYONE’S eyes will be fixated on the cards that are dealt to the table – not at your hands…it’s just human nature!

How can we utilize this knowledge?  Even poorly executed second deals will “fly under the radar” because they simply are NOT looking at your hands!

HOWEVER, this does present a different problem…the sound of your deals!  The only thing that will drag your spectators’ eyes from the dealt cards, is an “odd sound” that is different from the other deals.

You DO NOT want your deals sound like “…clip, clip, clip…CLOP!” or your spectators WILL immediately look up at your hands!

If you don’t make all of the deals sound approximately the same, I guarantee that your spectators will immediately look up at your dealing hands.  It’s just the nature of the “beast”.

They will know something “funny” is going on – but it doesn’t matter if they think it is a false deal or not…as far as they are concerned, something strange or different has just happened.  That’s all laypeople need to “bust” you!

So sit down and practice making your false deals sound like your regular deals.  It won’t be long before you find “the sound” that will “fly under the radar”.

Another little “pointer” that will make life easier, is, as you are dealing, make a larger movement from the last spectator that you dealt to – and then to yourself.  In other words you can further mask your Second Deal by keeping your hands moving in a somewhat circular movement as you deal around the table.

ATTITUDE:

The last thing I want to mention is ATTITUDE!  Just like any other time that you perform sleights, you don’t want to “draw attention” to your hands or anything that is on the table (such as a card that will transpose) by acting or feeling guilty!

In fact, don’t pay attention to your hands at all – but instead, you might want to incorporate a joke or pertinent comment as you deal.

Of course, you should appear relaxed and subliminally CONVEY to your spectators that nothing is going on, because of the relaxed, unworried manner in which you conduct yourself!  This “conveyance” should be a part of all of your effects – not just Second Deals.

===>>> The Strike Second Deal Video:  https://youtu.be/p3N76EP2GTQ

A VERY COOL TRICK!

There are many “Stop!” tricks out there with a huge variety of methods, but this trick is basically impromptu and doesn’t require a large set-up or special deck.

Below I present an old method of a “STOP!” trick that uses the Second Deal in a very effective manner.  It has excellent built-in misdirection and as long as you can perform even a half-assed Stud Second Deal, you will have a winner!  I’ll just call it:

STOP!

EFFECT: The performer writes a prediction down on a piece of paper and folds it up.  A deck is shuffled and displayed to the spectators as ordinary and then shuffled again.

The magician then Stud deals cards, one at a time, face up onto the table.  The magician asks the spectator to say “Stop!” at any time.

When the spectator says, “Stop!” he is given the chance to stop there, or the performer can deal another card face up onto the tabled pile.

Whichever he chooses, the face-down card matches the prediction!

SET-UP: As you perform, glimpse a card on the bottom of the deck; let’s say it is the Seven of Diamonds (7D).  Undercut the 7D to the top of the deck.

Shuffle thoroughly, keeping that card on top.  Then undercut about half of the deck, run 4 cards, one at a time, in-jog the 5th card and shuffle off.  Undercut to the break and the 7D will now be 5th from the top of the deck.

METHOD: Before you abandon this trick…at least study my methodology of performance and you will have an AMAZING effect in your arsenal!

After getting the 7D to 5th from the top of the deck, write a prediction on a piece of paper.  Then it would be a good idea to give the deck a false riffle shuffle, keeping the 7D, 5th from the top of the deck.

Square up the deck and place it into dealer’s position in your left hand (if you’re right-handed) and announce, “I’m going to deal the cards, face-up and one at a time and I want you to say ‘Stop!’ whenever one of these cards gives you a sign!  Only YOU will know what that sign will be!  O.K. – are you ready?”

While you give the patter above, Stud Deal the first four cards, face-up onto the table in a pile.  Deal these first four cards a little farther away from you than you normally would deal.

After you deal these four cards, you will have just finished your patter above.  Reach over to the four face-up cards and pull the pile in closer to yourself.  This is a very subliminal form of misdirection!

Remember that the spectators (and even magicians) will watch the cards as they are laid onto the table.

This will also give you a chance to ready your left hand for Stud Second Deals.  Remember that with the Stud Seconds, your left hand will automatically “necktie” the deck so that the top of the deck is out of sight for just a fraction of a second as you perform the Second deal.

Then an easy, “invisible” second deal is made.  Continue making these Stud Second deals at an even pace – not too fast and not too slow.

If you think you might have a troublesome spectator who will let you keep going and going, just look up at her and stare…she will say “Stop!” very quickly!  Usually this is NOT the case.  In fact, many will say “Stop!” even sooner than you expect!

But as long as you have already dealt down the first four cards…it doesn’t matter how soon she says, “Stop!”

At this point you have a pile of face-up cards on the table and the balance of the deck in your hand.  Next comes a very strong “selling point”.

Say, “O.K. you’ve stopped me at this card…” (Point to the top, face-up card of the tabled pile)  (This is where everyone is watching…remember?)

As you say the above line, you first point to the tabled pile and then remove the top face-down card with your right fingers.  As you do so, secretly get a left pinkie break under the next card on top of the deck.

As you do the above actions, say, “…or you can go another card!”  Place the face-down card in your right hand, back on top of the deck, keeping the left pinkie break, now under two cards.

You may or may not want her to go another card…let me explain why.

If you add to the patter above by saying, “…or you can go another card – or you can just stay with your first impression!”  your female spectator will be much more likely to stay with her first selection rather than going on.

If you want to give her a chance at taking the next card, then use the first patter line above and leave out “…or you can just stay with your first impression!”

I don’t know why these minor techniques work…but they do – on women.  Men are a little more unpredictable.  Maybe it’s because I’ve spent a career on performing for women…they make better spectators!

Two different scenarios:
1st scenario:
If she chooses the first card, merely lay it, still face down on top of the tabled pile.  Then start turning over the rest of the cards, first one at a time, then in groups of 5 and 10 cards.  DO NOT cover up the one face-down card in the middle!  This is important!

Carefully pull the one face-down card free from the pile, show your prediction and then show the “chosen” card!

2nd Scenario:
If she decides to go on and choose the NEXT card, remember that you already have a pinkie break under the top two cards as instructed above.

Angle-jog this double, over to your right, using the pad of your left thumb as a fulcrum.  If she wants another card, then Stud Turnover the second card as you pull the 7D flush with the deck.  This is VERY easy to do!

Ask her, “Does THAT card mean anything to you?” indicating the new face-up card on the tabled pile.  Whatever she says, place the face-down 7D from the top of the deck onto the tabled pile.

Proceed as before, turning cards face-up, first one at a time and then in groups on top of the tabled pile – but again, DO NOT completely cover the face-down 7D!  It is important to not cover the one face-down card to prevent anyone from thinking that there is a switch of cards.  I know of one effect like this from years gone by.

Again, show the prediction first, and then turn the lone, face-down card amongst all the face-up cards, face-up, for the conclusion!

Do NOT PASS this up!  It is a very powerful effect!

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You can view ALL of Paul’s ebooks, currently 23 and growing, at Lybrary.com .. They are, undoubtedly, one of the best values in all of magic..  Many are now considered underground classics, and all are available for Immediate Download. One of the BEST values in Magic!
http://lybrary.com/paul-a-lelekis-m-163788.html

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“A PLANNED COINCIDENCE”
Nate Ipock’s rendition of Henry Christ’s trick, ‘Stop When Ready’

EFFECT: Spectator selects a card.  Magician returns the card to the deck while it is out of sight – either behind his back or under the table.  Magician brings the deck into view and shows that her card is not on the top or bottom.  Magician then asks for a number between 1 and 52, deals to that number, and it is the selection!

PERFORMANCE: Begin your patter with “This is the epitome of an oxymoron.  I call it a planned coincidence. Would you take a card, please?”

Spectator selects a card and shows it to the others present, but not the magician. Magician asks, “May I see it? I’m new at this.”

The spectator shows you the card – let’s suppose that the selection is the Queen of Hearts.  The magician then takes the card from the spectator.

“I’ll place the Queen of Hearts in the deck, but I don’t want you to see where I put it!”

Place the deck behind your back and put the Queen of Hearts (QH), second from the top – in other words, place under the top card.  Bring the cards back into view.

“Notice that the QH is not on the bottom, nor is it on the top.”  Pick up the deck in the right hand at the lower right corner as you give the above patter…this will show that you hold no breaks.

Replace the deck face down in your left hand.  Push over, slightly, (no pun intended) the top two cards, but only take the top card in the RH.  Flick the card up from under the left thumb to emphasize its singularity.

At the same time your left pinkie finger obtains a break beneath the top card (the selection).  Flip the top card face up onto the deck so that now, you have a pinkie break beneath the top two, back to back cards as you say, “….but somewhere in between.”

“Please give me a number between 1 and 52.” (If the spectator says “One” or “Fifty-two…”), then say “I’ve already shown you those cards – besides, I said BETWEEN 1 and 52!”

You are hoping for a low number so you won’t have to count forever. But suppose she gives you 42 for example.

“42!  Wouldn’t’ it be a coincidence if your card was the 42nd card?”  Repeat the name of the selection to make it easier to remember.

“Well, it’s NOT – but it is a coincidence that you chose 42, because the number 42 has two digits – a 4 and a 2, and 4 times 2 equals 8!  Look!”

You are still holding the pinky break under the second card.  Grasp the back-to-back cards as one from the inner end (closest to your body) and slide both cards back toward yourself about an inch.  Keep the cards aligned with the help of your left hand and no one will suspect two cards.

The back-to-back cards remain on top of the deck.  Say, “That’s one….” as you slide the double back toward yourself, in-jogged atop the deck.

Your right thumb then contacts the top of the next face-down card on top of the deck, proper.  Slide it forward until it “clears” the back-to-back double that is in-jogged.

Now turn this card face up, and lay it directly on top of the, face-up in-jogged card as you say, “That’s two…”

You need to be careful at this point that you don’t accidentally pull the QH forward where the spectators can see it!  Do so by gripping the in-jogged portion of the back-to-back double with the pad of your left thumb and left pinkie, without buckling it.

Continue turning cards face up on top of the in-jogged face-up pile as you count “…3…4…5…6…” until you reach the number “Seven”.

At this point you actually have eight cards in-jogged, including the face-down selection at the bottom of the in-jogged packet.

Push all of the face-up, in-jogged cards, forward, flush with the deck and then immediately deal and recount the face-up cards as if to check your count, into your right hand.

Thumb over the 8th card, which is still face down and place it between your lips as you flip the seven face-up cards, face down onto the deck.

Turn the card in your mouth to face the audience as you say “…8!” to display the spectator’s selection!

The idea of A Planned Coincidence came to me as I was reading Annemann. Actually APC is my handling of Henry Christ’s trick Stop When Ready except I don’t shuffle the card to the second position and I don’t have the spectator say “Stop!” as I deal.  But the arrangement and script is mine.

Mr. Christ’s trick can be found in Annemann’s, Miracles of Card Magic, as well as in The Jinx, issue 74 in 1940.

A little about me…my obsession/mistress is card magic and I haven’t gotten over her for at least four decades.  Because I enjoy the Magic Roadshow, especially the card stuff, I wanted to show my appreciation.

Thanks,
Nate

NOTE: In Henry Christ’s original effect, Stop When Ready, the selection is made and then returned to the deck and “controlled to the top of the deck by your favorite method”.
Then Christ would perform a riffle shuffle, adding one card to the top of the deck.  The selection would now be second from the top.

Christ would proceed as in Nate’s trick above except that Christ would turn the face-down cards, face up, one at a time, and have the spectator say “Stop!” whenever he or she felt like it.  Then the first face-down card AFTER the spectator said ‘Stop!’ would be his or her selection.

In Christ’s effect, the performer apparently did NOT know the position of the card, even though it didn’t matter, because the spectator found the card by “intuition”.

In Nate’s effect, there is a pre-set number given by the spectator at the beginning.  He then places the selection into the deck at a location that HE knows and the spectator doesn’t know.

The spectator gives a number between 1 and 52 for its location.  Nate uses the product of the two digits of the provided number (42 in the example above) to multiply together and then find the card at that location.

I am unsure, but I think that Nate uses this type of procedure only for large, double-digit numbers so that the counting procedure is less laborious in a performance situation.

I think that if the number given by the spectator were a low one, such a 7, 10 or 14, etc., that he might just use a straight count.

Annotated by Paul Lelekis  (With my gratitude..)

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Magic Proposal# 1  –  Proposal 500   –   Eliyahu Wincelberg

My friend Eliyahu actually made a proposal of sorts to me some time back.. he proposed writing the definitive work on proposing with magic.. and I agreed. Where else will you find this subject explored in-depth? I have an affinity for this topic because I actually proposed to my wife, Carolyn, with magic. I did it gracefully, and without the entire restaurant knowing our business.  I figured since she was agreeing to marry a magic fanatic, I may as well establish my foot-hold from the get-go. I’m saving the story for Eliyahu to tell, so look for it.

Eliyahu begins this series with a slick trick that’s (almost) guaranteed to win your Love’s affections. I’ve actually given this article it’s own page because of the graphics involved. So, whether you’re planning on getting married any time soon, or not, it doesn’t matter. You should still have a look at this article and effect.

Remember this.. whether you’re married to the love of your life or not, there will come a point in time when they will expect you to do it all again! It’s called Renewing Your Vows.. and I’ve already been there. Carolyn and I married the first time in a very intimate cerimony in our home.. and the second one, about ten years later, was a traditional wedding in a small Episcopal Church.

I want to Thank Eliyahu for devoting the time and effort to this series. It’s certainly unique and, I hope, enlightening to fellow magicians everywhere…

https://magicroadshow.com/169a.php

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Werner Miller’s column will return next month.. Look for it !
(I had trouble uploading an essential image. I’ll definitely have it figured out by next month )

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EVOLUTION DECK – A Review by Rick Carruth

“Performer removes a BLUE card box from his jacket pocket. Upon opening the box he discovers the factory made a mistake and put a RED backed deck in the box, not only are the backs all RED, but the faces of the cards are all BLANK.
Performer gives the deck a little shake and the faces of the cards have magically printed, but the backs are still RED.
Not to worry, another little shake of the deck and the backs have now all changed to BLUE to match the card box !
No rough and smooth, No specially printed cards, No sleight of hand.  Each EVOLUTION DECK is hand crafted with over 100 processes to manufacture! Complete with VERY special Bicycle back deck and step by step instructions.”

I recently got my hands on Bob Solari’s EVOLUTION DECK. After an evening of ‘playing around’ with it, I was ready to take it with me to a restaurant gig. First, anything that can be utilized or incorporated into my walk-around routine gets my attention. Not everything KEEPS my attention. I’ve learned what works and what doesn’t, for me at least. Bob’s EVOLUTION DECK works for me. It’s one of those effects the public can’t grasp. Many times they have an idea what you’ve done, but with THIS deck, they don’t have a clue… not a clue.

In a restaurant setting, I ‘sometimes’ perform a new effect that gets very little response. Fortunately, I don’t perform those effects for long. Three or four times, and they’re out the door. Evolution Deck worked from day one, with a minimum of practice, partially because of the total lack of sleights. All I had to do was work on my actual physical handling of the deck and my patter. Then, it worked exactly as described… and everything is basically self-working.

The deck can’t be handed out for examination after the effect because this IS a gaffed deck arranged in a specific order. It looks perfectly normal, and there are 52 cards in the deck.  This isn’t a problem for me. When the effect is over, I put the deck back in its case and drop it in my pocket. I’ve learned to try to keep all my decks the same color, and if I WANT to bring the deck back out, it’ll be a different deck, same color. It’s all about ‘spectator control’..

Magic is all about bringing amazement to your audience, whether it’s a room full or a table full. Evolution Deck will make you look like a card pro and have you sending ‘Thank You’ notes to Bob.   $24.95    Watch a short video of Bob performing Evolution Deck.. https://youtu.be/Inzi_8BY0HM

http://bobsolarimagic.com/shop/Close-up/Cards/The-Evolution-Deck

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50+ Video Tutorials by Michael Boden at Hocus Pocus

To access this growing collection of magic tutorials, visit the url below, look in the left hand navigation bar, and click the FREE MAGIC link..  This is a very nice selection of over 50 tutorials from Michael Boden.. This will keep you busy for quite some time…  Listed below are just a few..

Priority Prediction
Sealed Prediction
Key Fly
Matrix Opener
Instant Recall Deck Memorization
Hole In One
Hold Out 52
Grab and Go Deck Production
In the Shadow of The Coin Masters
Fantastic 4 Coin Production
Experimental Thoughts
Eclipse of the Pass

http://www.hocus-pocus.com/magicshop/

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Tea TIme with Paul Daniels hosted by Luis de Matos –  Podcast

Paul Daniels, aside from being one of the most popular performers in the history of magic, is a friend of the Roadshow. I can count on Paul to offer me encouragement and kind words, even if I don’t deserve it. (OK, some months are better than others..) Paul’s reputation as both an entertainer and a scholar precede him. He can always be counted upon to have both a unique outlook on magic and the performance of magic as well as the history and history makers of magic. We are thankful to both Scott Wells and Luis de Matosfor the podcast, and to Paul for just being Paul for this very entertaining 1-hour podcast.

You can listen to the podcast on Scott’s site -or- download it as an mp3 to listen to later.

“FISM is more than just days of contests and shows. There are also schedule lectures and “talks”. One such “talk” that was a regular feature on several days of the congress was “Tea Time With…” hosted by Luis de Matos. Each day Luis spent an hour interviewing legendary magicians including Paul Daniels, Silvan, Lu Chin and Cyril. When it came to chatting with Paul, all Luis had to do was ask one question and Paul filled in the rest with amazing stories. This man has lead a charmed life and his future looks bright, too!”

http://themagicwordpodcast.com/scottwellsmagic/tea-time-with-paul-daniels

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Patrick at Trickshop.com and I have devised a way for us to work together again. Trickshop has been my favorite stop for classic and forgotten ‘secret’ magic for, like, forever… Check this out.. and the Freebies too.!

EDDIE JOSEPH’S GREATER CARD TRICKS
In Eddie Joseph’s introduction to his 1942 big book of card magic, he states that the effects he is offering all bear the “hall-mark of originality.” Indeed, few other magicians have provided us with a richer, more resourceful, or more unconventional approach to our art. If you are a fan of the “Joseph Touch,” you will delight in the material contained in this 104-page book. Don’t miss out. It’s just $2.95 this week!

http://trickshop.com/greater-card-tricks.html

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PASCAL’S OTHER WAGER…AND OTHER ECCENTRICITIES
In Michel Potts’ first book to the magic fraternity, he shares six of his favorite card effects. As the Resident Magician for the The Londoner Brew Pub in Bangkok, the effects in this manuscript have been cobbled together, road-tested and refined over time before the diverse yet tough crowds at the Londoner Brew Pub and don’t require any knuckle-busting sleight of hand. Each one is a solid, well-constructed, commercial gem complete with Michel’s own handling, patter and bits of business. 32 pages. A Trickshop.com Exclusive!  $4.95

http://trickshop.com/pascals-other-wager.html

(Editors note: The 1st effect in this ebook is worth the price of the ebook alone..)

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HOW TO DEVELOP MENTAL MAGIC  –   Paul R. Hadley

For the professional mentalist, the power and booking appeal of a well-crafted, two-person code act is undeniable. And yet, for many, the task of acquiring this impressive ability is daunting to say the least. In 1961, a book changed that notion, Paul R. Hadley’s “How to Develop Mental Magic.”  Hadley’s mentalism “how to” course set a new standard. A must-read for every serious mentalist! 115 pages, quality, re-typeset Trickshop.com edition.  $4.97

http://trickshop.com/paul-hadley-code-act.html

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FREEBIE CHECKLIST – Purchase ANY of the ebooks above and get ANY or ALL of these ebooks FREE.  Remember, add these to your cart BEFORE completing your order…

LITTLE MIRACLES –  Jack Vosburgh’s second book features six impromptu card tricks

EDDIE JOSEPH’S MINDS IN COLLUSION

ZENS’ IMPROVED 15 CARD TRICK – Zens’ famous 15 Card Trick is a true card miracle

DAI VERNON’S SELECT SECRETS – The Professor gives the reader natural and well-constructed handlings for a range of both close-up and stand-up effects.

MEPHISTO SEALED BILLET READING –  Dr. Ervin’s deceptive and 100% practical Mephisto Sealed Billet Reading

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The Thumb Flip – An Easy to Master Card Flourish..

FernandoP1 Art Zone Production has produced another nice video detailing a couple of sleights that can be readily accomplished by the amateur cardsman. Looks and do-ability are essential for the average guy, as not much puts off your audience, regardless of how large or small, than blowing a flourish. Take a look at this 11 minute plus tutorial..

http://www.etricks.info/

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Torn and Restored Thread Tutorial –

Folks watching ‘Fool Us’ the first week of August saw Matt Holtzclaw perform a nice version of  the Hindu Thread / Gypsy thread trick. This effect is not simply ‘classic’, it was first mentioned in “Scott’s Discoveries of Witchcraft” in 1584. That puts it in the same category as the oldest of magic tricks, aside from perhaps cups and balls. FernandoP1 gives a very skilled performance and tutorial for those of you not familiar with the method. Hindu Thread is a very wizardly but aesthetic effect when performed with grace. It can be performed table-side and mesmerizes adults and children.

https://youtu.be/owwR5u2-FoU

Watch Eugene Berger’s performance of this classic..
https://youtu.be/405xMmDpCZs

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Amateur Vs Professional Card Trick & Tutorial

A special card trick from Mismag822, the Card Trick Teacher, featuring Jay Sankey. Jay teaches you the difference between a performance by an amateur and that of a professional, in the form of a card trick. There are a couple of card controls involved, but nothing difficult. You’ll be showing your crowd the difference between an Amateur and a Professional in no time..!
Check it out..

https://youtu.be/Io1AJBIVAJU

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Ambitious Card Trick Variation Tutorial – Jay Sankey

Everyone has their favorite Ambitious Card routine. But, does yours include putting a rubber band around the deck.. and THEN making the signed card come to the top? The spec signs the card, the magician clearly places the card in the middle of the deck and encases the deck with a large  rubber band. The top card is shown to be an odd card, and then.. the spectators card somehow becomes the top card..
Jay published this video on the 52Cards site, and it’s worth your time to watch and learn.

https://youtu.be/41PnrIv5rZ8

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Blind Date – Eric Ross   ( A Review by Jim Canaday )

Effect: The performer shows spectator(s) a few cards, with one picture of a potential blind date on each card.  The spectator sees some great looking choices and one older choice for the older generation. YIKES!  The spectator is then asked to mix cards and discard some, while face down, until there is only one card left in spectators hand.  Before spectator looks at last card in hand, the magician shows the spectator what dates they did not get.

Though they missed a few hotties, they do NOT get stuck with the older choice. There’s is a moment of relief. Spectator is then asked to turn over their card.  To their surprise (and amusement of everyone else) they’re left with something far worse!  This is VERY dirty twist on a classic card trick!  This is Blind Date!

Although similar tricks have appeared in the past, Eric Ross has added a fun new twist.  A little cheesecake. And it comes with two sets of nicely laminated cards, one with girls and one with guys. Living in Florida, I do a lot with older crowds and let’s face it, the older guys like to see a beautiful young girl showing a little skin. (I have updated several tricks myself and carry them in my case). Not so surprising, the ladies like to see a good-looking young guy, too. Although the trick is only available to those over 18, there is no actual nudity. Black bars cover up the girls and the guy version offers Chippendale-like photos. Really pretty innocent but I do suggest that you be judicious in where you perform it. (No kids’ birthday parties or church groups!) Other than that, the cards are made well, you are actually getting two packet tricks for your money and you will have fun.

Positives: Nicely laminated cards, colorful photographs. Easy to do. Lots of fun for your audience. This is one you can “do tonight” if that is your thing. You get two sets of cards thereby bringing the cost per trick down to $12.50.

Negatives: The only negative I can think of is that it limits where you can perform this effect. Otherwise, none.

Conclusion: This is going to accompany me to parties and evenings with friends for a long time.

$24.95 (comes with two sets of laminated specially printed cards in plastic wallet and printed instructions)     http://www.murphysmagic.com/Product.aspx?id=54781

Jim Canaday   http://themagicportal.us   Go to: themagicportal@gmail.com  and ask Jim to add you to his list. Similar to the Magic Roadshow, but Jim emails his newsletters straight to your inbox..

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“Sleeve Aces” with Michael Ammar

In his book Variations, Earl Nelson printed a lovely routine based on Al Leech’s Discovery of Aces. Paul Harris and I were playing around with Earl’s handling, and we decided to eliminate the center phase, where the red Aces turn into the black Aces. We ended up with something fairly different than Earl’s original, so if this appeals to you, you’ll probably enjoy taking a look at how Earl Nelson approached the idea as well.Courtesy of L&L publications, and Michael Lyth..

http://llpub.com/effects/trickammar.pdf

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How to Convert an iPhone into a Hologram Projector – video

Got an iphone? Want to convert it in to a hologram projector with the assembly of a piece of plastic from a cd case? Watch the video, follow the directions, and go to the urls to find Youtube videos to use as your projectons .. The first link takes you to a youtube channel owners page, and you will need to click the ‘videos’ link in the user nav bar…

http://magicians.website

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Did you know we sent men to the moon in 1969 on a tiny fraction of the data that’s contained in the average laptop?
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Teller on Revealing Magic Tricks  –  Interview
Matthew Hutson

The magicians Penn & Teller are in New York this summer performing Penn & Teller On Broadway. In a conversation with Teller (the quiet one) last week, the topic of explaining magic tricks came up, and I happened to have a tape recorder running. An edited transcript is below.

I first asked Teller about revealing secrets in a Q&A for Psychology Today seven years ago:

Many atheists argue that science doesn’t explain away wonder and awe, but delivers more. Do you ever think in those terms when deciding whether to reveal a trick?

Some magic tricks are better as an experience when explained. They’re more interesting, more multileveled, more ingenious. [In one act, we get to watch Teller wiggle through tight spaces.] Most are disappointing, except to a real connoisseur. To me, a carefully timed palm of a card may seem like a beautiful thing. Someone else might say, “Oh, so he just took the card in his hand? Big deal.” You make the choice on aesthetic grounds. Virtually all the tricks Penn and I have explained were invented with an eye to explaining them.

I pursued this line of questioning further last week when Teller brought up the TV show Breaking the Magician’s Code: Magic’s Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed.

Teller: “Do you remember few years ago there was a TV show in which a masked magician came on and gave away magic secrets? When that happened, the network tried to goad members of the magic community into saying that he was doing something terrible. It’s always good to try to generate controversy when you’re publicizing a series. I told the network I rather liked that presentation for many old illusions…..  Read the rest at:

http://magicalthinkingbook.com/2015/07/teller-of-penn-teller-on-explaining-magic-tricks/

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MAGIC NEWS.org
You can get your magic fix on Magic News every week. Don’t wait a month for the next Roadshow. Instead, go to Magic News for the latest, along with the more interesting going-ons in the world of magic. Honestly, no other site publishes the breadth of magic related stories and videos as Magic News.
http://MagicNews.org

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USA CRIMINAL RECORDS ( Hey, we gotta pay the bills! )
There are so many companies that advertise ‘Free’ background checks.. and they are certainly NOT free. You go through several pages of nonsense, only to get to the page that informs you that for ” $16.95″ you can access your report. For the record, my site charges $2.95 for five days of unlimited, comprehensive searches. You can perform a LOT of searches in 5 days…
http://carruth00.everify.revenuewire.net/e-membership/homepage/

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LIKE us on FaceBook.. ( THANK YOU !! to all you Kind Folks who have…)

http://www.facebook.com/magicroadshow
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Magic Bullets from the Magic Roadshow – Our first 6 years of the Roadshow Blog..
http://streetmagic.info/blogger.html
______________

That does it for this issue. I hope you found something to help your magic along. Remember, if you have something you would like to share with the magic community, send it to: Rick@MagicRoadshow.com

“Vive Tus Sueños – Live Your Dreams ”

Rick Carruth / Editor

Senior Professor – Camelard College of Conjuring of Chemmis, Egypt
“Magic’s Only Worldwide Honor Society”
http://www.camelardcollege.org/

_____________________________________

~ Disclaimers ~
This page may contain affiliate links. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, I may earn a commission on the sale. The price that you pay should not be affected by buying through an affiliate link, and I never use affiliate links if I know they’ll result in a price increase.
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information in the Magic Roadshow is accurate. However, there is no guarantee that you will achieve any particular results using the information provided or any products referenced. Examples in this document are not to be interpreted as promises or guarantees of any particular results.
All information is for education and information purposes only. Seek the advice of a qualified professional before acting on such information. In using this document, you agree that the Magic Roadshow and its publisher, Rick Carruth, are not responsible for your success or failure as a result of purchases made through this site.
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 How you been? It’s hotter than Hello in South Carolina.. in more ways than one. But that’s another newsletter and a few dozen Facebook posts. What is it they say? Opinions are like pie holes… everybody has one. I’m trying to keep everything civil and polite here.. I do know this, we have had something like twenty five 90+ temperature days out of the past thirty and I’m ready for Fall.. and you can run that up your flagpole and salute it….  ( Sorry about you guys across the big pond.. you probably don’t know what I’m talking about. Google ‘South Carolina’ and ‘flag’. )

The USA has been blessed with magic on TV these past couple of weeks. It seemed we were lagging behind the rest of the world for some time.. and then ‘Pow’.. magic everywhere. Aside from ‘Fool Us’ and‘Masters of Illusion’, America’s Got Talent has featured several very good performances, including Oz Pearlman’s mentalism effect. Look for two episodes of “Don’t Blink’ on POP TV at 11:00pm eastern time this Thursday. I’ll dig up some info and post it to MAGIC NEWS.org beforehand.

Remember.. If you have comments or questions.. Email Me  (rick@magicroadshow.com)

Table of Contents
………………………….

– The Clock Trick –  Paul Lelekis
– One-Ahead  101  –  A Simple Prediction Effect –  Rick Carruth
– Who Wears the Ring? –  Wehman Bros.
– Bob Solari’s DOUBLE BARREL  –   A review
– TRKS  –  A Review by Donavon Powell
– TRICKS WITHOUT NAMES –  Werner Miller
– Mel Kientz’s “Magician’s Life” News Service –   A Daily Resource
– This Incredibly Cruel Magic Trick is Pranking People – But Here’s How It’s Done – Video
– Episode 65: Mac King — Vegas Afternoon Magic
– Build A “Lazy” Magic Table –  DIY
– Magic Show Music Cues –  How To..
– “Spread n Butter” Card Trick Tutorial Video – Chris Ramsay
– Free card tricks – An amazing card technique – The Change Beneath
– Rubber Band Finger Exercise Tutorial  – Video Tutorial
– Jeff Hobson Lecture –  30% Off
– Need a Good Magic Quote?
– My Bad… When Other Words Just Won’t Do  –  Reference
– Op-Ed: Top 5 magic tricks by Mat Franco from ‘America’s Got Talent’ – Videos
– Op-Ed: 5 Greatest magic tricks and illusions by Criss Angel – Videos
– Free eBooks for Subscribers..

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Politically speaking, if everyone spent as much time learning the facts as they did expressing their opinions, we would have a lot of people fighting for the same causes.
Rick Carruth

Considering the falsehood in the heart of some men, It’s impossible to believe everything you see and read on the internet….   Abraham Lincoln

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THE CLOCK TRICK
Paul Lelekis

Don’t pass this one up…it is a REAL fooler!  This is an old trick that Michael Skinner was very fond of, but didn’t know who the creator was.  He also said it was the very finest Clock Trick ever created.

It should be presented as a feat of ESP.  However, don’t reveal this ploy until you actually perform it and it will surprise everyone – including magicians.  This version will absolutely shred the idea that it is a mathematically based principle…and yet it is!

EFFECT: Spectator is asked to only think of a time from 1:00-12:00, like on a clock.  This could be any of twelve different times for her to choose from.

When she thinks of a time, the magician turns his back and the spectator counts off the number of cards from the top of the deck that matches the time she is thinking of.  The spectator then hides these cards from the performer’s view.

Next the magician turns around and counts off twelve cards from the deck and then lays them out on the table in the shape of a clock, one o’clock to twelve o’clock.  The magician then turns his back.

The spectator looks at the time she is thinking of, memorizing the card at its location, and then she gathers all the cards up, including the ones she is hiding, and then shuffles them into the deck.

The magician, with his back still turned, then names the time AND the card!  This effect appears unfathomable!

SET-UP: Remove any card from the deck, let’s say a 4 of Spades, and lightly pencil-dot it in opposing corners on the back.  Place this card 13th from the top of the deck and you’re set.

METHOD: As I mentioned in the intro above, don’t mention anything about the ESP aspect of this effect.  No patter is needed…it is a demonstration of skill that will rock your spectators and any magician who doesn’t know the secret.

False shuffle the deck, retaining the 13 card stock on top.  Hand the deck to the spectator and tell her to think of any time on the clock, 1, 2, 3…up to 12.

Turn your back and ask the spectator to “…count down the number of cards from the top of the deck to the table that matches your thought-of time.  Do it quietly so that I cannot possibly know the number of cards counted.”

“You can think of any time on the clock – 1:00, 2:00, 3:00, 4:00, 5:00, 6:00, 7:00, 8:00, 9:00, 10:00, 11:00 or 12:00.”  She then hides these cards from your view.

It is important to say each of the 12 times as indicated in the patter above.  The patter will not only lend to the drama…it also, subliminally indicates to the spectator, to NOT think of times like 3:30, or 9:45, etc.  This is important.

Suppose she is thinking of 7:00.  She will count off 7 cards and then she will hide them from view.  After she hides these 7 cards, you then turn around.

At this point most magicians and many spectators will begin thinking that this is a mathematical trick (it is!), but at the end of this effect – it will shock everyone!

Take the remainder of the deck and count down twelve cards onto the table.  THESE TWELVE CARDS MUST BE REVERSE COUNTED for the trick to work!

Place these cards, face down, in the shape of a clock, starting at 1:00, overlapping the cards as you create the “face of a clock” with these cards.  As you place these cards out, watch for the pencil-dotted card…in this case, it will be at the 7:00 position.

You now know the time thought of, and the card!  But don’t let on that you know anything, yet.  You want this to build up and some may even think they know what comes next – trust me, they don’t!

Now, turn your back on the spectators and the card clock.

Ask her to pick up the card at her thought-of time and show it to everyone and to remember that card.  Have her place the card back to its original position.

With your back still turned, have her gather up all the cards in the clock and the seven cards in her pocket.  Tell her to mix them all, back into the deck.  Tell her to give the assembled deck a good riffle shuffle…this is the point in this trick where everyone will become “dazed and confused”!

Those who think they know how this effect works will now be absolutely clueless!  Keeping your back turned, now ask the spectator to “…only think of your time – NOT the number – but the time itself!”  This ruse will misdirect the spectators.

With your back still turned, say “I’m getting an image…you are thinking of the time of 7:00…and the card at the seven o’clock position is…the 4 of Spades!”

This effect seems impossible.  Play it for the “boys” at your next meeting and you WILL fool them badly…unless they already know the secret – chances are they don’t!
Whoever created this effect long ago – was a genius!

NOTE: This effect will really shake up everyone for whom you perform it.  Please follow the instructions precisely, to attain the maximum effect – have fun!
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You can view ALL of Paul’s ebooks, all 23, at Lybrary.com .. Just a few months ago he was at 19, and now I’m changing the total EVERY month. Paul is a profoundly prolific writer, and his ebooks are, undoubtedly, one of the best values in all of magic.. Many are now considered underground classics by his peers.. http://lybrary.com/paul-a-lelekis-m-163788.html

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One-Ahead  101  –  A Simple Prediction Effect
Rick Carruth

The One-Ahead principle is undoubtebly one of the most-used principles in mentalism/magic, and one I’ve witnessed used on national TV at least twice in the past two weeks. As I’ve tried to stress for eleven years now, it’s never really about the trick.. it’s about the trickster. A simple effect, performed with bravado and entertainment, will wow an audience just a quick as a million dollar illusion.

This effect has been published in many different forms since the turn of the century. This is simply my handling.

Begin by giving one of three spectators a totally normal deck of cards. Ask them to shuffle the deck till their little hearts content. Once done, ask the spectator to divide the deck into four packets and pass out the packets to the two other spectators, yourself, and keep one for himself. Now, ask each spectator to shuffle their packets as well, while you shuffle yours.

While each spectator is busy shuffling their packet, you will secretly remove a hidden card from your pocket, conceal it in your palm, and add it to the top of your packet as the last gesture before you finish. You now know the identity of one of the top cards on the four packets.

As everyone is asked to lay their four packets face down in the center of the table, you tell them you will now predict the top card on each of the packets. Beginning with any packet other than your packet, pick up the top card, place it face up in the palm of your other hand, but not visible to the spectators, and quickly name the identity of the card YOU placed on the top of your packet. Quickly glance at the card in-hand.. and call it as the identity of the top card on the second packet. Repeat for the third card, and, picking up the card on the top of your packet last, name it as the card from the third packet. Smoothly, lay all four cards face up on the table so everyone can see that you named all four cards correctly. This effect really needs to be performed with a certain quickness, as to not give the impression you’re ‘reading’ the cards.

There are far more complicated effects achieved with the ‘one-ahead’, but they all operate using this basic principle. It’s easy to secret one of the cards off the deck beforehand and place it back on top of your packet. No one will know the deck is short one card. Remember, with the right patter, everyone will swear the deck is marked.. until you perform this with THEIR deck…….

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Who Wears the Ring?

This is an elegant application of the principles involved in discovering a number fixed upon. The number of persons participatmg in the game should not exceed nine. One of them puts a ring on one of the fingers, and it is your object to discover: (1st) The wearer of the ring; (2d) the hand; (3d) the finger; (4th) the joint.

The company being seated in order, the persons must be numbered 1, 2, 3, etc. ; the thumb must be termed the first finger, the forefinger being the second; the joint nearest the extremity must be called the first joint; the right hand is one, and tlie left hand two.

These preliminaries having been arranged, leave the room in order that the ring may be placed unobserved by you. We will suppose that the third person has the ring on the right hand, third finger, and first joint; your object is to discover the figures 3,131. Desire one of the company to perform secretly the following arithmetical operations.
:
1. Double the numher of the person who has the ring ; in the case supposed, this will produce 6
2. Add 5  =11
3. Multiply by 5 = 65
4. Add 10 =65
5. Add the number denoting the hand 66
6. Multiply by 10 =660
7. Add the number of the finger 663
8. Multiply by 10 =6,630
9. Add the number of the joint 6,631
10. Add 35 = 6,666
He must apprise you of the figures now produced 6,666; you will then in all cases subtract from it 3,535; in the present instance there will remain 3,131, denoting the person No. 3, the hand No. 1, the finger No. 3, and the joint No. 1.

From the Wehman Bros. “New Book Of One Hundred And Fifty Parlor Tricks and Games”. If anyone is interested, I’ll send you the whole ebook if you request it…

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Bob Solari’s DOUBLE BARREL  –   A review

This is the effect that earned five stars from My Lovely Assistant. This is also the same effect that had the Cafe ablaze with positive reviews. Double Barrel allows you, via a carefully crafted hand-made gimmick, to know the identity of a card fairly selected by a spectator. Another small prop allows you to know exactly where a mate to that card is located in a second deck. This results in some quite startling magic. As for the working.. I don’t think I can explain it any better than the manufacturer’s description…

“Show two decks of cards, a blue deck and a red deck. Ask a spectator to select one of the decks and put the other deck in his/her pocket for later. Remove the second deck of cards from its case, shuffle the cards and spread them face up…. normal deck… totally mixed up. Turn the cards over and spread them face down. Ask the spectator to simply touch the back of any card. There is NO FORCE of any kind. It’s an absolutely FREE CHOICE! The face of the card is shown to the audience. The back of the card is towards you at all times. The cards are NOT MARKED in any way! The selected card is returned to the deck and the deck is returned to the box. Ask the spectator to concentrate on his/her card. In a flash, you are able to CORRECTLY NAME his/her card! @#$! In addtion, you name a number. Let’s say the number is 23. Ask the spectator to remove the first deck from her pocket and count down to the 23rd card. Amazingly it is the SAME CARD as the one she freely selected just moments earlier! DOUBLE BARREL is a killer! The gimmick will absolutely blow you away! Each one is hand made by Bob! Remember: NO forces, NO memory work, NO marked cards! Resets in one second! Immediately repeatable!”

I can promise you that the effect works exactly as described. Bob doesn’t know it, but I have used Double Barrel for the past four years, which is about forever in my routine lineage. I think it was Kevin Costner who once said.. “If it works, they will buy it..”. I’m pretty sure he was talking about Double Barrel. There are many possibilities with this intriguing effect… limited only by your creativity.  As Randy Wakeman wrote on the description page: “A book can be written on the gimmick used in Bob Solari’s Double Barrel.”…   My conclusion? VERY Recommended…

http://bobsolarimagic.com/shop/Double-Barrel?keyword=double%20barrel&category_id=39
Video performance –  https://youtu.be/5Le6R70I5Ew

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TRKS  –  A Review by Donavon Powell

TRKS by Kyle Marlett is a wonderful download. He accomplishes several things besides just teaching “a few quick tricks”.

Kyle spends the time to explain WHY he chose to do things the way he did in each of the three pieces he presents. Two of the pieces are effects and one is a control.

I’d like to take a moment to talk about each of these items.

The first piece is called the KM Control. It is a very unique control. Kyle discussed its evolution as well as the only technique he has seen that is similar (yet VERY different).

This is not a trick although it can be utilized as one. This could easily be added to an ambitious sequence as a different way to return a card to the deck. He uses an intriguing technique to set up for the control that can be accomplished proficiently with a minimal amount of practice. However, he touches on other methods to set up if you’re not comfortable with the method he uses. This uses a Pivot Display that seems slightly weird upon first glance, but after a few tries it takes on a natural feel. He has built in a natural camouflage that, partnered with a strong presentation, will make this control virtually invisible to your Spectators.

The second piece on the download is called Spooning. This is the effect that will likely catch the most eyes when looking in to purchasing the download.

It is worth it in my opinion. It is unbelievably visual. It looks better in person than it does on film (and it looks pretty good there). This uses a very simple-to-construct gimmick. I’ve seen a manufactured item similar to this in the past, but it wasn’t for Magic. The teaching segment of this one covers virtually everything you can think of when it comes to the how, why, and what aspects of both developing and presenting a piece. It is borderline a literal teach-in on Kyle’s thinking when it comes to developing something. The handling is very organic and smooth in every element, from the actual vanish of the spoon to the wringing in and out of the gimmick (Did I mention it is really easy to construct?). I think that each part of this routine works on many different levels. There are some who will be thrown by the manipulation feel of the presentation, but don’t give in to the feeling. This piece works for Close-Up exceptionally well.

The third, and final, piece of the download is called SURB. I’m with Kyle. It needs a new name.

This one is a change of sugar in a sealed packet into a sugar cube that is still inside the sugar packet. It really does look like the sugar cube forms inside of the packet. I constructed this and actually enjoyed just watching the moment where the cube begins to form. This effect has an insanely visual moment built in to it, utilizes very simple materials to construct the necessary pieces, and is very easy to construct. Kyle uses a specific type of sugar packet to accomplish this. However, it can be accomplished with other types of sugar packets with a minimal change to the construction. It actually requires fewer pieces to accomplish this than I expected. This is because of the “Why run if you’re not being chased” approach to the structure of the routine. Kyle discusses this extensively, and he covers multiple ways to accomplish the dirty work in several different performance settings. Personally, I am a fan of the seated method he discusses as I perform most of my work seated.

This is an excellent download and well worth the 10 dollars that it costs. I think there is a little of something in it for everyone and a lot of something for workers. Considering it revolves around only three items I believe it is a worthwhile investment. I highly recommend it.

http://www.penguinmagic.com/p/S19663
http://www.kylemarlett.tv/product/trks-by-kyle-marlett/

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TRICKS WITHOUT NAMES –  Another Mathemagical Medley of Semi-Automatic Tricks  –   Werner Miller

Trick #7

To prepare, sort out nine spot cards, one of every value from Ace to Nine (suits do not matter), and fifteen indifferent cards. Arrange them as shown opposite (Fig. 1), then square the cards and turn the packet face down. Set the remainder of the deck aside.

To perform, false cut the packet, then table it before a spectator. Ask the spectator to cut off about half of the packet. Take care that the spectator cuts off at least ten cards but not more than nineteen.
Instruct the spectator to deal his cards singly to the table, into a new pile (thus reversing the original order), and, in the course of dealing, to count them aloud. They turn out to be, for instance, sixteen cards.

 Square the spectator’s pile and place it next to the original bottom portion.  “Pretty much equal, aren’t they? Probably it’s better to make the difference in size more significant. Sixteen cards, you said. The number sixteen has two digits, 6 ones and 1 ten. Let’s use these digits to reduce your cut-off packet.”
From the top of the spectator’s packet, remove singly seven cards (first six, then one) and place them on the other packet. You are automatically left with a 9-card packet (the original top nine cards in reversed order) and a 15-card packet (the fifteen indifferent cards from the original bottom stock), provided that the original number of cut-off cards is –  as already mentioned  – within the range of 10-19.

“Much better now.”

Move the larger packet toward the spectator. Ask him to count the cards and to announce the result. In the meantime, deal the cards of the other packet into a square layout, three rows of three cards each, one row below the other, all the cards dealt from left to right, still face down.

After you were told that the larger packet contains fifteen cards, turn over the top row of your layout and call attention to the values of the three cards: 8, 3, 4 – totalling 15!

Let this sink in, then turn over the middle row: 1, 5, 9 – the total is also 15! And the bottom row: 6, 7, 2 – 15 spots, too! (Fig. 2)

And as if that were not enough, show that the values in each column also add up to that number: 8 + 1 + 6 = 15, 3 + 5 + 7 = 15, 4 + 9 + 2 = 15. And finally the diagonals: 6 + 5 + 4 = 15, 8 + 5 + 2 = 15. It’s a magic square!

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For more (and more elaborate) math-based magic by Werner Miller visit http://www.lybrary.com/werner-miller-m-7881.html

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Mel Kientz’s “Magician’s Life” News Service –   A Daily Resource

I simply don’t have the time to read a wealth of emails.. I get 100+ every day as it is. So, if I say I take the time each day to read a particular email, then it has definite merit. Mel Kientz’s ‘Magician’s Life” is a daily email blast featuring one relevant news item related to our art. I asked Mel to describe Magician’s Life to me”

“Everyday for the last several years, I have put out a short E-mail blast that highlights a particular web-based news story relating to the magical arts.  It could be a historical, biographical, informational and in some instances, a down-right plug that I think would be of interest to anyone with a love of magic as a performance art.

Magician’s Life is a short OPT-IN electronic information source.  You cannot receive it unless you specifically request to be on the list. . . .  To be added to the database list you need to send an email request to:  (  m.kientz@bnproducts.com  ) with your name and email address. You can OPT-OUT at any time if you find that the information is just not your cup of tea!

By the way, this list is a closely guarded secret and is not rented, traded or used by any other person or organization. Here are a few of the magicians that have been the recent subject of Magician’s Life.”

Christian Cagigal, Paul Cosentino, Simon Coronel, Danny Cole, Krystn Lambert, Steven Spill, Tiny Clark, Jonathan Goldstein, Rob Zabrecky, Tina Lenert, Mike Caveney, Franz Harary, Billy Kidd, Darcy Oake, Rudy Coby,  Richard Turner, Criss Angel, James More, Joshua Jay and Piff The Magic Dragon … just to name a few.

Remember.. email Mel at:  m.kientz@bnproducts.com  and asks to be added..

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“This Incredibly Cruel Magic Trick is Pranking People – But Here’s How It’s Done” – Article & Videos

How do you deal with a man apparently cut in half? Getting on the elevator, walking down the hall, standing on a street corner.. does it really matter? You either appreciate the humor, or you freak out. This impressive illusion is revealed by UK’s, The Mirror, and I’m not sure why.. unless the author was one of those pranked. Thanks to Michael Lyth for the link..

http://www.mirror.co.uk/usvsth3m/incredibly-cruel-magic-trick-pranking-5633895

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Episode 65: Mac King — Vegas Afternoon Magic

“I’m so excited to have had the opportunity to interview Mac King on my show! It was an amazing experience for me and I’m happy to be able to share it with all of you. Enjoy!”

Kris Sheppard…

In this interview, Mac King tells us about his early days performing in comedy clubs and talks about how he keeps things fresh in his show at Harrah’s in Vegas after 15 years. He also shares an interesting story involving him and a gold fish, and gives even more practical career advice for performers!

Listen to the interview and see the show notes here:
http://successfulperformercast.com/macking/

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Build A “Lazy” Magic Table

Another DIY project for you true handymen. This one is an ideal performance table that travels extremely light and can be packet in a suitcase or briefcase. The secret? Well, visit the site and study the pictures.. Everything is detailed for your ease of assembly.. Thanks to Michael Lyth..
http://www.playingbigmagic.com/build-a-lazy-magic-table/

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Magic Show Music Cues

In addition to the DIY magic table, the ‘Playing Big’ site also featured a nice article on sound design and sound and/or music cues for your show. The article details how the author creates Entrances and Transitions, Filling in lulls, and music underscores to play beneath the voices.

If your show uses music, I honestly think you’ll enjoy this article..

http://www.playingbigmagic.com/magic-show-music-cues/

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“Spread n Butter” Card Trick Tutorial Video – Chris Ramsay

Very nice effect from Chris Ramsay which, when used with a signed card (in my opinion), creates a very impossible looking effect. This is a real stunner. Without giving too much away, if you can perform a variation of the Tamariz Perpendicular Control (taught), and a simple Mexican Turnover, also taught, then you will succeed with Chris’ effect. He has recorded a 16 minute tutorial which explains everything in detail.

http://etricks.info

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Free card tricks – An amazing card technique – The Change Beneath
FernandoP1
This is such an amazing technique to switch a card from underneath the deck as if you were just turning the card over. This move does have endless applications making this move worth the practice.

http://magicians.website

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Rubber Band Finger Exercise Tutorial  – Video Tutorial

Maybe it’s just me, but I have this nervous habit of walking around with objects in my hand. For the first two-thirds of my life it was cigarettes. For the last third it has been toothpicks and cards, which for the record, are much safer than cigarettes.. so says my doctor. I remember once carrying a fake bullet for a month or so..until I lost it. And of course there’s the fifty cent piece that shows distinct signs of wear from my relentless fiddlin’…

I’ve also carried a couple of rubber bands from time to time. Thanks to this video from 52Kards, you can carry a rubber band, satisfy your habit, AND increase your strength and dexterity at the same time. I’m sure there’s a little trick in here somewhere too. It doesn’t take but a couple of minutes to watch the video and learn the moves…

https://youtu.be/fUUiKMQlS_Y

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Jeff Hobson Lecture at 30% Off…

I just received this from our friend, Jeff Hobson. The original cost was $15.00, 30% off is $10.50 for over TWO hours of top level magic.. This is the original Hobson lecture!  Many attendees have said it’s one of the best magic lectures they have ever seen. Gary Darwin – the Dean of Las Vegas magic – has said it’s “the best magic lecture I’ve seen in 25 years”.

“Now, HOBSON is EXPOSED Online!  Due to illegal DVD duplication problems overseas, Hobson has decided to offer his original and best lecture EXPOSED to watch NOW online.  Click to get the special member 30% discount and to watch HOBSON’s best lecture NOW.  Expires 7/31/15
ENTER PROMO CODE:  EX50 ”

https://vimeo.com/ondemand/exposed

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Need a Good Magic Quote?

Check out this page on Magica if you need a magic quote. Chris Philpott, editor and guardian of Magica, says: ” I copied this idiosyncratic collection of quotes relating to the art of magic for my own amusement, so I was not always great about citing sources. The quotes are not ordered alphabetically, or indeed in any order known to man.”

Regardless, it’s certainly not hard to find a good quote…

http://www.magicaonline.com/quotation_gallery.htm

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My Bad… When Other Words Just Won’t Do  –  Reference

What do you say when you drop a coin, lose a load, misplace a card, or forget which pocket contains the scarf? Every good magician has a ‘ready line’ to cover his mistake. Sometimes a humorous line will garner a larger laugh than the effect itself. Now, I’ve given you a reason to commit a minor faux pas..

These have been used by many different magicians on many different occassions. Some are ‘classic’ and others may be new to you. Hopefully, you’ll never have reason to use one… These were garnered from several sources, all public, and I would like to thank the http://www.themagiccafe.com/ , Lee Darrow, Daniel Faith, Magicmike1949, Lawrence O, and cpatchett for the majority of these quotes.. Others are mine – but who’s counting.
If you pretend you didn’t see that, I’ll pretend it didn’t happen.

Hmmmm, victimized again by a random gust of gravity!”

Wow, good thing the floor was there … no telling how far that could have gone.

But that was just a trick. Now let me show you some real magic.

Anyone in the audience named Gandolf? I could use some help right about now

If at first I don’t succeed, then failure is a real possibility.

For my next trick… I will be erasing your memory of what has just transpired.

If at first you don’t succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried. (vanish the coin)

I forgot to compensate for the rotational effect of the earth

It’s all part of the show folks…the part that wasn’t properly rehearsed.

It doesn’t look as bad from my side.

It would have been cool though…

This place is so cool, coins don’t even obey the law…. of gravity

Wow it’s so quiet in here, you could hear a career drop.

That one was dedicated to all the people in my life who said I’d never amount to anything.

Well…mistakes do happen. My parents said that’s how I got here.

While I pretend to mess up a trick, my assistant is leading an elephant into the other room.

Wrong? I am never wrong. There was one time when I thought I was wrong, but I was mistaken.

If it were THIS easy anyone could do it . . . except me apparently.

Well now that we’ve covered the comedy portion of the show, let’s quickly move into the magic part.

It is at this point that I wish I had a scantily clad assistant to bail me out.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is my proof of Murphy’s Law.

At least you know I’m not using tricked coins.

This is the dress rehearsal, right?

Would everyone please now bow your heads and close your eyes for a moment of silence in remembrance of this magician.

If someone has a cell phone, please dial 911.I’m in serious trouble here.

A true professional never lets you see him sweat. So would you all please close your eyes until I can put on another shirt.

Thank goodness I’m not an air traffic controller.

You are very lucky….If I were your surgeon, instead of your magician, you’d be dead now.

Were I practicing law right now, I’d be disbarred. As it is, I think I’ll just make my way to the bar.

Could someone please scream “Fire”!

In the art of legerdermain, this is what is known as “Le screw up.”

Pull out an envelope that says on it “Prediction”. Open up the envelope and read from it, “The magician will screw up this trick.”

If you could’ve seen me do this in front of the mirror at home you would’ve loved it.

“I call this trick, ‘Bummer'”.

“If I were Emeril the Magician, I’d throw some garlic on this trick, and you would all applaud wildly. Then mime that action as you shout “BAM!”

This is apparently that rare instance when you can’t fool any of the people, any of the time.

I bet you won’t ask me to do that one again.

Actually, I need to maintain my amateur status so I can try out for the magic olympics

If there is a Coroner present, would you please pronounce this trick dead, so that we can put it to rest.

In order for this to work, you all need to be completely stoned.

It’s very strange when the life you never had flashes before your eyes.

That’s the key to having it all: stop expecting it to look like what you thought it was going to look like.

Heck, it worked when Coperfield did it! But then, I’m not on the same pay scale as he is..

Tricks are like Chevrolets…..some work, and some don’t

I recently purchased this trick on ebay. Remind me to give the seller some very negative feedback.

If you want to see the really good version of this trick.. go to Vegas..

(….and perhaps the most true of all…)

That’s what it would look like if the government built magic tricks.

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Op-Ed: Top 5 magic tricks by Mat Franco from ‘America’s Got Talent’

To commemorate a new season of America’s Got Talent, here’s the top five tricks from last years winner Mat Franco..  Compiled by Digital Journal….

http://www.digitaljournal.com/a-and-e/entertainment/top-5-magic-tricks-by-mat-franco-from-america-s-got-talent/article/438176

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Op-Ed: 5 Greatest magic tricks and illusions by Criss Angel

Criss Angel has performed many impressive tricks and illusions throughout his career, and Digital Journal ranks his five greatest ones.

http://www.digitaljournal.com/a-and-e/entertainment/op-ed-5-greatest-magic-tricks-and-illusions-by-criss-angel/article/438052

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SIGNUP FOR THE MAGIC ROADSHOW….

Remember.. signing up for the Magic Roadshow Journal of Magic is Totally FREE. There is NO obligation and your email is 100% safe. (I don’t even share it with my closes fellow magicians..) You will be notified each month when a new issue of the Roadshow publishes and you can unsubscribe with one click.
Subscribe Here..   https://magicroadshow.com

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MAGIC NEWS.org

You can get your magic fix on Magic News every week. Don’t wait a month for the next Roadshow. Instead, go to Magic News for the latest, along with the more interesting going-ons in the world of magic. Honestly, no other site publishes the breadth of magic related stories and videos as Magic News.

http://MagicNews.org
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USA CRIMINAL RECORDS  ( Hey, we gotta pay the bills! )

There are so many companies that advertise ‘Free’ background checks.. and they are certainly NOT free. You go through several pages of nonsense, only to get to the page that informs you that for ” $16.95″ you can access your report. For the record, my site charges $2.95 for five days of unlimited, comprehensive searches. You can perform a LOT of searches in 5 days…

http://carruth00.everify.revenuewire.net/e-membership/homepage/

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Free eBooks For Subscribers….
Here’s a link where you can download a variety of free ebooks, including Erdnase’ Expert At The Card Table… If you are not a subscriber, you can sign up HERE.. http://MagicRoadshow.com

http://streetmagic.info/cbmall3.html

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LIKE us on FaceBook..  ( THANK YOU !!  to all you Kind Folks who have…)

http://www.facebook.com/magicroadshow
http://www.facebook.com/themagicnews

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Magic Bullets from the Magic Roadshow – Our first 6 years of the Roadshow Blog..
http://streetmagic.info/blogger.html
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That does it for this issue. I hope you found something to help your magic studies along. Remember, if you have something you would like to share with the magic community, send it to:  Rick@MagicRoadshow.com

“Vive Tus Sueños – Live Your Dreams “

 Rick Carruth / Editor

Senior Professor – Camelard College of Conjuring of Chemmis, Egypt
“Magic’s Only Worldwide Honor Society”
http://www.camelardcollege.org/

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