Quick Triumph – by Paul Ingram
This is an ‘in-the-hands’ triumph routine that is comparatively easy to do. The reason for its existence is directly related to my handling for the one hand top palm. My handling for the top palm enables it to be performed extremely quickly, so fast in fact that I use it as a colour change. This is one of three routines which I developed to put the slight to good use. In most triumph routines, the selection is apparently mixed into a face up and face down messed up deck. The magic occurs when the deck rights itself all but the lone selection which, is the only face up card in the face down deck. The original triumph plot belongs to Vernon. My routine is pretty standard up to the point of climax where, using the top palm handling as a colour change, the deck visually corrects itself.
Routine:Begin by having a card selected and upon its return secretly control it to the top of the deck. Turn the deck face upwards and obtain a pinkie break above the two bottom cards as you spread the deck commenting upon its well mixed condition. The deck is now turned face down however, the rear two cards are left in position and the deck is revolved face down on top of them. The situation is now that the deck is face down on top of two face up cards, the rear most card being the selection.
The deck is now apparently mixed into a face up/face down condition. However, a very deceptive ruse by Paul Harris is employed to ensure that nothing actually happens. The deck is resting in the right hand dealing position. The left hand approaches and lifts the top half away holding it in biddle grip. Both hands now rotate simultaneously, the left hand turning palm up and the right hand turning palm down. It will appear that the left half is face up and the right half is face down however, all cards are actually except for the top two cards of the right half which, are face down. Perform a dovetail shuffle to apparently mix the cards face up and face down being careful not to expose their true condition and allowing the two face down cards to fall last.
Holding the deck in dealing position, the top face down card (selection) is slip-cutted into the centre of the deck while simultaneously revolving both halves face up and face down a few times. Nothing but backs will show as you comment upon the messed up condition of the deck. The top half is replaced onto the bottom half however, a pinkie break is obtained between the two. Half the cards above the break are now removed and revolved face up to display a face card and a back. This is to further emphasise the mixed condition of the deck. The half is replaced and then all of the cards above the break are once again lifted as both hands revolve face up and face down as before. This half is then replaced with no breaks being held. The effect is all but over from your point of view. The spectators believe the deck to be messed up with their selection hopelessly lost somewhere within. Actually, the deck is lying face up with the selection face down in the middle and a single face down card on top.
To finish, you could simply turn the top card face up, snap your fingers, then turn and spread the deck face down to reveal the selection face up at the centre. My handling causes the deck to correct itself visually.
The deck is positioned into the one hand top palm position being held in the left hand biddle grip. The thumb at the rear right hand corner and the pad of the pinkie pressed down onto the front left hand corner. The standard top palm technique calls for the pinkie to push outward and down upon the outer left corner. This cause the top card to pivot upwards on the left corner of the deck up into the palm position. My technique however, runs the standard handling in reverse. If you remember your physics, its the equivalent of the clockwise turning motion verses the anti-clockwise turning motion. Essentially, the left pinkie presses down onto the outer left corner of the top card holding it in place. It does not however, push forward and down. Instead, it holds the top card in place as the left thumb moves the deck form underneath it to the right. With practise, you will find the card moves into the palm with the slightest effort. Also, there is virtually no finger flash whatsoever from the front, a fault with the standard handling.
Using this technique, the top palm can be performed at lightning speed, with the spectators actually viewing the top card of the deck. To emphasise the moment and to provide focus, as the palm is performed, the right hand flicks the right side of the deck with its index finger. The deck will appear to visually turn face up. The left hand immediately dips underneath the deck, carrying the palmed card along with it as the deck is spread between the hands revealing its corrected condition. One face down card will show at the centre of the spread. This, of course, is the selection which you reveal to a thunderous round of applause!
Comments:I designed this routine just to get to the colour change type finish. The other two routines mentioned earlier are a colour changing deck routine where the deck changes colour visibly and a handling for the ‘Inversion’ plot by James Lewis. For the original inversion handling consult the book entitled ‘Encore 1’ by Michael Ammar. Both handling for these routines were also designed specifically to take advantage of the visual colour change appearance of the above top palm technique.
INDRA’S THE LOYAL ASSISTANT – Magician Indranil Ray.
Effect: You show a metal strip claiming it to be your loyal assistant which never fails to make a correct prediction. Putting it aside for a moment you take five symbols out of an ESP deck. And showing the symbols, you explain the significance of them and briefly talk about ESP. You put the set of five symbols asides and let a spectator choose a symbol from the rest of the deck.
Now, from the set of five symbols you momentarily kept aside; you pick the Square and declare it as the selected symbol. You also take the metal strip and forming a square with it you boast about your assistant and the accuracy of the prediction. But your spectators denies this, so you turn the Square symbol card face down and with the square frame in your hand you ask him to declare his selection.
The Circle is declared as the selection. Simultaneously and instantaneously the square frame in your hand changes to a Circle. Triumphantly you ask him to turn the face down card over and they find a Circle is staring at them. Finish!
Requirement: You need a deck of ESP cards and a double-faced card; with a Square on the face and a Circle on the reverse. And you need a” Squaring the Circle” trick too.
Preparation: Take out four cards one each of Circle, Cross, Wave and Star. And add the Double faced to this pile with the Square showing. Put this set stack atop the rest of the deck of symbol cards and armed with a Squaring the Circle outfit you are ready to go.
Presentation Start as stated in the effect. Then when you request a spectator to select a card, you in fact force the Circle symbol on him. You may use your own favourite force, but my preference is for ‘Crossing the cut’ force as this does not disturb a pre-set deck required for the following effect. Ask him to show the symbol to all but you, then put it over the table face down.
Next, taking the pile of five cards you earlier kept aside, you display the cards faces up and casually bring the Square symbol on the face. And place the Circle at the second position (below the Square) from the face.
Point out to the square symbol and declare it as the selected card. You double lift the card(s), turn it faces down and immediately fan the five cards. So they will see a face down card, (apparently the Square), a Circle, a Cross, a Wave and a Star. You remove the face down card, miscalling it a Square and their selected symbol and put on the table. Other four symbols you add to the main deck. Since their selection was a Circle, obviously they would say that you were wrong. So, holding the ‘Square’ with both hands you request them to announce their selection. They will either call out ‘The Circle’ or turn over their selected symbol under impression they got you. You look amazed but immediately gaze at the frame in you hands, simultaneously and instantaneously, the Square in your hand changes to a Circle! You now request to turn over the face down cards you put on the table. It turns out to a Circle symbol. So you and your loyal assistant have turned the table on them !
Vice-Versa – II — Arun Bonerjee
Summarise the following chart on a piece of paper:
(3) Spectator’s name spells with 3 letters. He notes 3rd card in the packet.
You note a card 8 cards further down in the packet. – Total 13 cards used.
(4) Spectator’s name spells with 4 letters. He notes 4th card in the packet.
You note a card 6 cards further down in the packet. – Total 13 cards used.
(5) Spectator’s name spells with 5 letters . He notes 5th card in the packet.
You note a card 4 cards further down in the packet. – Total 13 cards used.
(6) Spectator’s name spells with 6 letters. He notes 6th card in the packet.
You note a card 2 cards further down in the packet. – Total 13 cards used.
(7) Spectator’s name spells with 7 letters. He notes 7th card in the packet.
You note a card 7 cards further down in the packet. – Total 20 cards used.
(8) Spectator’s name spells with 8 letters. He notes 8th card in the packet.
You note a card 5 cards further down in the packet. – Total 20 cards used.
(9) Spectator’s name spells with 9 letters. He notes 9th card in the packet.
You note a card 3 cards further down in the packet.- Total 20 cards used.
(10) Spectator’s name spells with 10 letters. He notes 10th card in the packet.
You note the next card. – Total 20 cards used.
Fold chart into quarter, keep it into your wallet, which you then keep in your pocket.
Presentation: At the place of performance, mentally select a person for whom you intend to perform this trick. You can select any person as long as his first name spells with more than 3 and a maximum of 10 letters.
(You can also use the full name and surname of a person if it spells with a maximum of 10 letters.)
Let us assume you select your friend SOMEERAN whose name you find spells with 8 letters. Refer to your chart, and you will note that for an 8 – lettered name you have to use 20 cards. Remember this. You will also note that during the performance, SOMEERAN will have to see the 8th card (as per the number of letters in his name). And you too will have to select a card, 5 cards further down in the packet. So remember the number 5 too.
During performance, borrow a deck of cards. After a thorough shuffle, casually count off 20 cards, and put the deck aside. Hand over packet to you friend SOMEERAN and ask him to mix it up well.
Taking back the packet, tell your friend that you will carry out a test in order to see whether he too can be a magician! Loudly spell your friend’s name, S-O-M-E-E-R-A-N; simultaneously dealing a card for each letter in a face down pile on the table.
Ask your friend to pick up the last card dealt, note it, and replace it on top of the dealt pile. Next tell him you will note a card yourself. Casually deal 4 cards on top of the dealt pile; note the next or 5th card say, 6C, – drop it on top of the dealt pile. Drop rest of packet on top of it.
Next, tell your friend that you will mix the cards as per his instructions.
For this, he has to say ‘Drop’ or ‘Deal’; and you will handle the cards accordingly. If he says, ‘Drop’, you will drop a single card from the facedown pack in your left hand on the table.
If he says ‘Deal’, then you will mix the top 2 cards together and drop them again over the table. (To do this mix up, take the top card from the face down pack in your left hand, add the next card on top of it, and drop the pair atop the tabled card). Picking up the packet, ask your friend to give you the instructions, proceed as explained, as he loudly calls out ‘Drop’ / ‘Deal’ at random, apparently ‘mixing’ the cards well. (Truly, this is Paul Curry’s famous ‘Swindle’ switch). Pick up the dealt cards and repeat the ‘mix-up’ once more, while he instructs and you obey.
Next, picking up the packet tell your friend that he will have a second card as per spelling of his name, and loudly spell your friend’s name once more, S-O-M-E-E-R-A-N. Simultaneously deal a card for each letter in a face down pile on the table. Pick up the last card dealt, place it face down in front of your friend. State that you will now have a card yourself. Take top card of the packet in right hand, feel it’s face with fingers. Drop it on top of the tabled pile. Repeat this business 3 times more. Taking next or 5th card feel its face with fingers, (please do remember that at this step you should always use the same number you primarily used to get your card selected)., place it faces down in front of yourself. Gather up packet. Return same to deck.
Next, ask your friend to name his noted card. Let us say your friend says, “Eight of Diamonds”. Tell him that as you are a magician, it is quite easy for you to locate his card! Slap the face down card placed in front of you, turn it face up, which of course is found to be Eight of Diamonds ! Tell your friend your noted card is the Six of Clubs. Ask him whether he can locate it. Obviously your friend stares at the face down card placed in front of him. Immediately turns it face up, and it is found to be Six of Clubs. Look greatly surprised, and conclude by telling your friend, that while you located his card, he located yours, proving that he is also a great magician by his own right!
I picked up the basic mathematical principle behind above trick from Werner Miller’s card trick, NEETRIHT CARDS (winter 2000 issue of Club 71). I analysed the principle, expanded it, and ultimately came up with the above routine. Hope you like it.