INTRODUCTION BY DAVE FORREST

Yes folks, Mr. Francis is back! And what a pleasure it is to see him again!
When I started talking to Cameron about releasing another of his sterling cre-
ations, we had more than enough to choose from. For me though, 'What It
Isn't', sprang to mind instantly. This is one of those effects that will pay you
back ten fold for any investment you may have made with just one perform-
ance for lay people. It is magical, practical, uncluttered, easy to follow and
even easier to do! This is what makes good entertaining magic for lay audi-
ences and this is exactly what Cameron understands so succinctly.

So, you'll already be aware that there are two handling's included within. Can
you imagine my delight when Cameron informed me that he also had an un-
gimmicked handling? Now you'll never have an excuse for not performing
'What It Isn't'. The un-gimmicked handling introduces a super cool switch of
Cameron's to the magic community that is so unbelievably good it's worth the
price of the manuscript. I'm sure that the applications for this switch are far
reaching and its full potential is yet to be discovered. It's a beautiful move
which, for the purpose of writing the manuscript and for prosperity, I have
named the 'CF Switch'.

Enjoy folks, I know you will.

Dave Forrest.
WHAT IT ISN’T!
EFFECT
From a red backed deck, a card is selected and lost back into the pack. Four
blue backed cards are introduced - they all have blank faces. The magician
announces: "I'm going to use these blank cards to tell me what your card
ISN'T!" One by one, three of the blanks transform into the mates of the selec-
tion! "These three cards, tell me what it ISN’T. This last blank is going to tell
me what your card IS - it will change places with your card in the deck!" The
magician gives the last blank a flick - nothing happens. “Oh, I actually only
made the backs change places!” The blank card is turned over and it now has
a red back! The deck is spread, and one card has changed to blue - it is of
course the selected card!

YOU WILL NEED

Two regular blue backed cards.
Two blank backed mates of the regular cards.
One red backed blank card.
One red backed deck.

SET-UP
Place a regular, blue backed card face up on the table - this will be your force
card. Place the red backed blank, face down on top of it. Place the two blank
backed cards on top of that, blank side down. Finally, place the remaining blue
backed regular card, face down on top. This is the orientation the cards need
to be in when you introduce them so, it may be an idea to make a subtle mark
on the back of the top card. That way, you’ll always be sure you have the
cards the correct way round when you remove them from your pocket.

You need a red deck of Bicycle brand playing cards - these can already be in
play - you can launch into ‘What It Isn’t’ at any time during your performance.

The cards you have received may comprise any four of a kind. The following
description assumes that they are the Eights.
PERFORMANCE
With the deck face face up in your left hand, retrieve the packet of cards from
your pocket with the right hand, holding it in right hand Biddle grip. You can
use the fingers of the left hand to aid in getting the packet into this position.
Briefly come over the face of the deck with the packet and allow the lowermost
card to riffle off the right thumb adding it to the face of the deck. The left hand
will now turn face down, wrist killing the deck to hide the newly added Eight at
the face.

Indicate the packet and explain that you will be getting back to these cards in
a moment. Place the packet onto the table.

You will now force the bottom card of the deck -

a blue backed Eight - without it’s back being
seen. Cameron prefers the following, very
deceptive force:

Run your left thumb down the outer left corner

of the deck asking a spectator to call out ‘stop’.
When they do, the right index finger kicks
Fig.01
everything above the break into the left hand
which briefly turns the packet on its side. Now
you immediately tap the left side of the cards
remaining in the right hand (the bottom half of
the deck) against the top of the left hands cards
- as though briefly squaring the packet right
hand packet. Fig.01. Now display the face card
of the right hands packet to the spectator as
you turn your head away. They are looking at
the bottom card of the deck - your force card. Fig.02

Fig.02.

If you’ve never encountered this force before I’m sure, having read the above,
many of you are wondering how on earth it is ever going to get by anyone.
The bottom line is that this force works VERY well. The actual mechanics of
the force are carried out quite quickly but the ‘attitude’ of the force is very
casual. It goes without say of course that, should you prefer, a simple Riffle
Force can be used instead. Either way, once the card has been forced, drop
the right hands cards onto the left hands cards legitimately burying the selec-
tion in the centre of the deck and place the deck on the table to one side.

Pick up the packet of cards and announce:

"You’ll have noticed of course that these cards are a different colour than the
deck. But, the blue backs are not the only difference. You see, the faces of
these four cards are completely blank!”

Flip the packet face up and perform a ‘Jordan Count’ as follows:

The packet is held in the left hand dealers position. With the right hand, take
hold of the inner right corner of the packet, fingers below, thumb on top. Now
the left thumb peels the top card into the left hand. The left thumb now comes
back and peels the second card, onto the first in the left hand. As you come
back to take the third card, the two cards in the left hand naturally come under
the cards in the right hand. All four cards become squared very briefly and the
instant they do, the right thumb pushes off three cards which are then taken
away in the left hand. This ‘exchange’ should simply look like you counted a
third card into the left hand. You now only have one card remaining in the right
hand, this is placed onto the left hands cards on the count of four.

If you cannot perform the Jordan Count but are more familiar with the Elmsley
Count, here is an alternate handling:

The packet is face up in left hand dealers grip. Push the top two cards over
into the right hand, slightly spread. This displays three blank faces. The left
hand holds a double. Place this double in between the two cards in the right
hand, squaring the packet. Now perform an Elmsley Count showing four blank
faces. After the Elmsley Count, again push over the top two cards into the right
hand and again, place the left hands double in between them.

Whichever way you choose to go, the position of the packet from the top down
is:

Red backed blank, blank side up. Blank backed Eight, blank side up. Regular
Eight, face up. Blank backed Eight, blank side up.

Buckle the bottom card and turn over a triple, keeping the break, to show a
blue back. Turn the triple over again and place the top card onto the table,
next to the deck. You have apparently laid down a blue backed blank, in reali-
ty, it is the red backed blank.

As you are doing the above say: "We'll take one of these cards, this one here,
an put it aside for now. The other three cards are going to tell me what your
card IS by telling me what it ISN’T! Watch."

Buckle the bottom card and turn over the top

two cards as one - it appears that you are plac-
ing two blank cards face to face (fig.03.) and a
blue back will show - catch a pinkie break under
the double as it is flipped down. Pull back the
double as one card for about half its length to
show the blank card underneath. Now perform
the ‘Paintbrush Change’ to effectively print the Fig.03
face of an Eight. To perform the ‘Paintbrush
Change’ simply push the double card forward,
until all the cards are squared, then immediately
pull back the top card only. Lift off the face
down card on top with your right hand, showing
the entire face of the ‘freshly printed’ card.
Fig.04.

Continue: "Ah! This tells me your card ISN’T the Fig.04

Eight of Diamonds!”

Cameron now performs the ‘Whirling Flourish’

(spinning the card on the tip of one finger) with
the face down card in the right hand before
snapping it over to reveal that it has also been
printed with the face of an Eight. The flourish is
not essential - merely snapping the card face
up will be sufficient. Either way, you have now
printed two cards. Fig.05. Fig.05

Alternate handling: I actually prefer to print both these cards at the same time. After
you have turned the double face down, effectively placing two blank cards face to face,
I lift up on the front edge of the top card and ‘slowly ‘peel’ it back, revealing the simul-
taneous printing of two Eights.

Continue: "Ah-ha! OK, so I now know that your card ISN’T the Eight of Hearts
either!"

As you say this, place the face up Eight of

Hearts under the Eight of Diamonds and turn
both of these cards face down onto the remain-
ing blank card - again, a blue back will show .
You will now do Vernon’s ‘Through the Fist
Flourish’ to print the third Eight.
Fig.06

The packet is held in left hand dealers grip.

Fig.06. All you do is turn the hand palm down
as the left thumb pushes the packet through the
fist. They will see the Eight of Spades emerge
from your hand. Grasp the outer right corner
with the right hand and pull the packet to the
right around the left pinkie. Fig.07. Then, turn
the left hand palm up again and place the
Fig.07
packet back into left hand dealers grip.

Continue: “And, it seems that your card also

ISN’T the Eight of Spades!”

You now perform John Hamman’s ‘Flustration

Count’ (Cameron sometimes performs a
‘Rhumba Count’ or a ‘Kiss Count’, both of which
achieve the same end) to display all the cards
as having blue backs.

To perform the ‘Flustration Count’, take the Fig.08

packet from above in the right hand and turn

the right hand palm up to display a blue back.
Fig.08. Now the right hand turns palm down
and the left thumb peels the top card, a face up
Eight into the left hand. The right hand turns
palm up again, displaying the same blue back
(fig.09), before turning palm down again where
the left thumb peels the next card, another face
Fig.09
up Eight on top of the first in the left hand.
Finally, show the back of the last card (Fig.10.)
and place it under the two in the left hand.

The ‘Flustration Count’ is discrepant in the

extreme. In this case, you show the same back
three times! However. the illusion of all three
cards having backs is compelling to say the
least. It’s a casual, almost ‘throw-away’ display.
Fig.10
Don’t say anything about all the cards having
backs, simply say:

“So, I know your card isn’t the Eight of Diamonds, it isn’t the Eight of Hearts
and it isn’t the Eight of Spades. So your card must be the Eight of Clubs -
yes?”
The spectators will agree. Place all three cards in a face up fan on the table.

Pick up the lone blank faced card and say: “Now watch carefully. For the finale
I will make this last blank card actually switch places with the Seven of
Diamonds in the deck! One, two..THREE!”

Tap the card against the deck and pause for a moment. Nothing appears to
have happened.
"Now I know it doesn't look like anything has happened but, in actual fact, it
has! You see, I didn't make the face of the cards switch places. I made the
backs switch places!"

Turn over the blank card to show that it now has a red back. Spread the deck
face down on the table, revealing one blue backed card in the middle of the
deck. Turn it over and reveal that it is indeed the selected Eight of Clubs!

WHAT IT ISN’T! - NO GIMMICKS

Here’s Cameron’s un-gimmicked version. You need nothing more than a nor-
mal deck and a single Joker! This is a great, impromptu effect and it introduces
the ‘CF Switch’ to the magic fraternity - and that’s a VERY good thing! To avoid
needless repetition, I’ll just tell you now that the same patter is used in this
effect.

EFFECT
A card is selected and lost in the deck. The magician introduces a packet of
four Jokers. One by one, each of the jokers transforms into the mate of the
selection until only one remains. This Joker is waved over the deck. The deck
is spread and one card is seen reversed in the centre. It is turned over and
revealed to be...a Joker! The Joker on the table is turned over - it has now
become the selection!
SET-UP
Remove one joker and three cards of the same value from your deck. In this
case, we'll say the Seven of Clubs, Hearts and Spades. Place the Joker at the
bottom of the face down packet and place this packet in your pocket or in a
wallet. Cut the seven of diamonds to the top of the pack and you are ready to
go.

Note: You can actually place the four card packet on top of the deck, above
the Seven of Diamonds if you like.

PERFORMANCE
Remove the packet of cards from your pocket or wallet (or just remove the top
four cards) and place them face down on the table.

In having a spectator choose a card you will force the Seven of Diamonds
and, upon its return, control it to the top of the deck. Here’s an easy way to do
just that:

The Riffle Force: Cut the deck in the centre and hold a break between the
two halves with your left pinkie. Run your left thumb down the outer left corner
of the deck and ask a spectator to call ‘stop’. When they do, lift off all the
cards above your break - the impression being that you are splitting the deck
where they said stop. Offer the top card of the left hands cards to the specta-
tor - it’s your force card.

The Double Undercut: Have the card replaced back on top of the left hands
cards. Place the right hands cards back on top and again, hold a break with
your left pinkie. The right hand takes the deck from above, the thumb keeping
the break at the rear of the deck. The left hand takes half of the cards below
your break and replaces them on top. The left hand now takes all the remain-
ing cards below the break and places them on top too. In the act of apparently
‘mixing’ the cards, the selected card has been replaced on top. It is worth not-
ing that, in actual fact, the entire deck is back in its original order.
Place the deck on the table. Pick up the packet of four cards and perform
John Hamman’s ‘Flustration Count’ to show four Jokers.(The Flustration Count
is described in the gimmicked handling.) After the count, casually position the
Joker (the last card counted) second from the top of the packet, taking a break
beneath it, as you announce, as before, that
the Jokers will reveal what the selection IS, by
telling you what it ISN’T.

The first Joker becomes a Seven.

Turn over the top two cards as one to show a
Joker. Buckle the bottom card and take the top
three cards between the right middle finger at
the outer left corner and the right thumb at the Fig.11

inner right corner in preparation for the ‘Twirl

Change’ Fig.11.:

Lift off all three cards and begin to shake the

packet back and forth. As you shake, the right
index finger reaches over and pivots all three
cards over. Fig.12. The larger action of the
shaking covers the smaller action of the cards
being turned over and creates a stunning illu- Fig.12

sion of one card literally ‘morphing’ into another

- in this case a Joker into one of the Sevens.
Fig.13. Immediately, drop the three cards back
on top of the single card in your left hand. Lift
off the Seven and place it face up on the table.

The second Joker becomes a Seven.

Buckle the bottom card and turn over the top
two as one, showing a joker. Flip the double Fig.13

face down again and lift off the top card. Rub
this card on your sleeve then snap it over revealing that it has changed to
another Seven.
The third Joker becomes a Seven.
You will now do an ‘in the hands Mexican
Turnover’ with the remaining two cards to show
them both as Jokers. Pick up the top card
(Joker) on the right long side with your right fin-
gers underneath and thumb on top. Flash the
face of the Joker to the spectators. Fig.14. Turn
the card face down again and slide it under the Fig.14

other card in your left hand. Fig.15. As the

lower card becomes flush with the top card, pull
the upper card to the right with the right thumb
and use the fingers of the right hand to flip the
lower card face up. Fig’s 16 & 17. It looks like
you just showed one Joker, then used it to flip
the second Joker face up.

Rub the face down card in your right hand on Fig.15

the face up joker in your left hand. Snap the

face down card over, revealing its miraculous
change from Joker to Seven! Drop this seven
down next to the others.

The CF Switch
OK, so you have one Joker left - drop it face
down next to the Sevens on the table.
Announce that the selected card must be ‘the Fig.16

Seven of Spades!’ (or whatever Seven is not

present among the three on the table.) Pick up
the deck with the left hand and get a break under
the top two cards. Pick up the Joker again with
the right hand and display its face then turn it
face down again.

Say: “You’ll notice that your card is not on top of

Fig.17
the deck...”

As you say this, use the right fingers to flip the

double face up on top of the deck (fig.18) -
keep a break under the double. Now, place the
face down Joker on top of the double, but side
jogged slightly to the right. Fig.19. Flip all three
cards face down and immediately push off the Fig.18
top card into the right fingers. In a continuing
action, use the right fingers to flip the entire
deck over (fig’s 20 & 21) and comment:

“...and it’s not on the bottom of the deck either!

Let’s see if we can find it in unusual way!”

The card you hold in your right hand is the

selection. Not only that, but the Joker is Fig.19

reversed, second from the top of the deck. The

switch is discrepant but it is VERY deceptive if
carried out fluidly and confidently with a casual
attitude. This move FLIES!

Drop the face down ‘Joker’ with the Seven’s

and draw all focus to the deck as you give it
one complete and place it face up on the table.
Snap your fingers and slowly spread the deck Fig.20

across the table, revealing one card reversed in

the centre. Remove this card, which everyone
assumes to be the selection, and slowly turn it
over revealing the Joker!

Turn over the face down card on the table,

revealing it as the selected card for a stunning
finish!
Fig.21