- a ay Geass aR)JOHN CAREY REFLECTIONS THE CARD & CLOSE-UP MAGIC OF JOHN CAREY Copyright © 2019 John Carey All his reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproducedior used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of Hd publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. The information in this book is distributed on an “as is" basis, without warranty. Although every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this work, neither the author nor the publisher shall have any liability to any person or entity with respect fo any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the information contained in this book. Design and illustration by Phillip Smith at Sushi Design ( www.sushidesign.net )REFLECTIONS CONTENTS Introduction: «=== Foreword - ACAAN 2019 Spectator Mindraader (Ona Thought And One Card (One For Marlo- === Las All The Way! === Destiny - - Opencaan Suspicious Predition Dico Weve: (Old Wine « Yours And Mine The Covart Prediction Covert 2.0- +--+ 2-2 Frea Cut Accan (One 2. One Tho Sprecd Drop False Cut Tho Perception False Shuffle To The Power OF Sx plete == Dortt Make Me Cross, ‘One Thought One Spell luff CTP. - Creativity The PUP Force - == == The Slow Slip Force - RS Forces A Parfec Sid === === Fate, Chance ond Destiny ‘Thovalt Indication The Hopscotch Control « (Open As Usvol- The 3456 Force My Mind And Yours Triplex « The Atitude Force =~ Chace! - Diminishing Lies And Truths Thoro's Nothing I Can Know! Hummer Silo - = =~ A diferent way. litle Pace of Me One Big Blu -JOHN CAREY Bold Falee Count Now That's Amazing! ‘The Oops Holdout Shufl Brooking The Odds! - You're ln My Thoughts Semi-Aviomatc All-Backs EL Numero Tabled Touch Force Quick JC Tipt (On The Cross Cut Force, Nico & Easy Doss it- ‘Any Chance At Any Number - Clones! Toxie Force Ideas 8 “uy OSE Keep, Hide, and Cul- BD Cut Force Hide and Seak- Feeling Jaded? Brainwaveish OHSS Collectable ‘The Coins of Shanghi = “Twenty-First Century Sponges! Dice & Eosy Doss lt- AFCAAN! AFCAAN 2.0 Oh Yeh, Look ot You! ‘Mind 2 Mind Infivential ekdnasenaa Freewiling Brilandia by Comaron Francis - Furzy Math by Michael Rubinstein Gone Card To Box by Daniel Chard - Guarded Card Through Table! by Gene R Gorden Jeckmuation by MeBride and Friedbarg - (Over Space & Time by Phedon Bilak ‘The Frankenstein Effect by Peter Nardi ‘The Ace OF Spades Miracle by Jason Dean ‘Wildly Yours by Michael Kaminskas - {ZDT by Josh Zandman Coin Fight by Miles Thornton Bonus: Carey Meets Vernon -REFLECTIONS JOHN CAREY 2019JOHN CAREY INTRODUCTION Greetings my friend and thank you so much for purchasing Reflections! I'm going to keep this introduction very short, as | know you must be eager to step inside the contents and study. Suffice to say, | think your time with my latest collection will be an enjoyable and worthy one. Naturally my first love of card magic features, with myriad highly practical mysteries, high on impact and streamlined to the Max. Those who want tools will enjoy the moves I've included too. There's a fair sprinkling,of Mentalism ond Mental Magic too within these covers that will get you thinking. Practical workable material. I've even included a simple sponge ball routine that has a beautiful visual moment | believe you will enjoy; Enough talk, grab some cards, relax and enjoy Reflections. JOHN CAREY August 2019REFLECTIONS FOREWORD BY PETER NARDI first heard the name John Carey around 18 years ago. It seemed like every magician | worked with either gigging or through Alakazam knew of this wise magician. Yet | had never met him or come across him. I would speak to magicians and during conversation they would say well John Carey says, John Carey has a version, John Carey does it this way, John Carey does it that way, John Carey, John Carey, John Carey. “Who is this John Carey?” | asked myself. Well a few years later we did meet. John came in to the shop and proceeded to blow my mind with his magic. | would say that during those early years me and John became friends, chatting every so often on the phone and he would pop down to the shop every few months. But | think it was about six years ago, around the time that John decided to follow his dream and go in to magic full-time, that | storted to see more of John and now | consider him one of my closest friends. John is just a genuine guy. Super Talented, super nice and not one ounce of ego. When | devised the idea for the Alakazam Academy, John was the first person | turned to. Me: “John I've had this crazy idea but | think it could be amazing” John: “What's that?” Me: “Imagine giving live magic lessons over the internet, something truly interactive, like a magic club online that's totally encouraging and hopefully just an inspiring place for people to be part of”JOHN CAREY Me: “OK now, I'm not sure if it will work, I'm not sure if we can pay you and to be honest | need you to create eight, one hour lessons that will take someone from never touching a deck of cards to being a competent card magician.” Johi ‘You'll have them tomorrow!” Me: “Wait, What?” Joh “I'll email you a Zero To Hero course tomorrow” And he did! So began the Alakazam Online Magic Academy. John is such a hard worker and he gives everything in front of him his ll! He always delivers and goes obove and beyond what is expected of him, He is a creative powerhouse and his knowledge is unsurpassed. | will b@ honest with you wish | was as creative as John but | know I will neyer be, so I'll stick with having him as one of my best mates. | am so looking forward to diving in to this book and I know you will love what's contained within these pages! It's fime'to grab yourself a cup of tea, a deck of cafdlg and start learning some/amazing Carey magic! PETER NARDIREFLECTIONS ol aiojsoibeweseupseJOHN CAREY ACAAN 2019 Back in 2018 my effect ‘Night at the Casino’ was released as a digital download by my great friend, Peter Nardi of Alakazam Magic. The reaction was amazing and many magicians around the world picked up the effect and judging by correspondence to Peter and |, loved the effect. Never believing any effect is a finished piece, here is my new version which has zero displacements and all works because of the presentation. Interested? Read on! FIRST THE SCRIPT “Peter, numbers aré everywhere. House numbers, PIN numbers, phone numbers, and everyone's favorite - lottery numbers, where people every week dream of winning the jackpot: Today let's try a litle experiment with «@ deck of cards, a mysterious black envelope and your imagination! Imagine on the table a beautiful crystal bowl and inside the bow! are lottery balls numbered 1-52. Let me swirl the bowl and mix the numberS; | will take out a ball at a time. My imagination tells me this one is four, tie next one is 20, now 49, just say stop. 6, 17, 27, 38. Ah you stopped ot @8 but any number is possible and this is purely in your imagination, Peter. That deck has been there since the start. Please pick it up and deal and count the cards face up out loud until you teach your number 38. The Four of Clubs. Not the greatest card, but this isn’t about gambling, it’s about numbers. Please open the mysterious blank envelope and take out the contents. Impossible!”REFLECTIONS METHOD As in Night at the Casino a bank of five duplicate cards, Four of Clubs in this example, are pre-set in different positions. The positions | like are 6,17, 27, 38 and 47. We also need a stranger back Four of Clubs, which you seal in a small black envelope.The presentation pretty much does all the work for you as the rest is a ranging force of your numbers. After you mention any other three random numbers, suddenly ask your helper to soy stop. Just like @ psychological force they will stop at one of your range force numbers. Have them deal and count face up to the imaginary number they freely stopped at, revealing the Four of Clubs. Ask them fo open the envelope and remove the contents and successfully conclude the mystery. Pick up the face up cards and turn face down and drop onto the remaining cards. You are reset for the next performance. One road test of this and youwill be hooked, | promise! 10JOHN CAREY SPECTATOR MINDREADER Here is a piece I’ve been using regularly using a marked deck, with a non-magician friend in the pub recently to extremely strong effect, It makes him look the star and he buys me a beer each time. Ahead of time simply instruct your secret accomplice that the third card you put back into the deck will be the chosen card. Hand out the déck for shuffling and then ask a spectator to deal five cards into a face down tabled row. Then announce that your friend (Peter in this example) wil) attempt some mind reading. Ask him to walk to the other side of the bar. room and turn away, Next have your spectator freely point to one of the five tabled cards, Covertly read the marks, let’s say it’s the Jack of Clubs: You turn away as you instruct them to look at their card, remember it and then gather up all five cards and shuffle them. Request the lady tries mentally send the thought of her card to your accomplice and then yod turn back to face your spectators and take the packet from them. Deal the five cards info a messy face up array on the table and then request that your wannabe mind reader rejoins the group. “Peter, Jenny is thinking of one of these cards. You were the other side of the room as she made her choice with your back turned. Focus on the cards you see in front of you and think positive thoughts, as we all believe you can do this!” Start picking up each face up card and returning it to the deck slowly, starting with two non-selections. Then pick up the Jack of Clubs you peeked from the markings earlier and lose that card. Finally, lose the remaining two cards and ask Jenny to shuffle the deck. Hand the deck to your accomplice and ask them to take out the card they believe the 1REFLECTIONS spectator is thinking of but not show it yet. “So today everybody we've tried an experiment in mind reading, which some people call telepathy and others say can’t be done. Jenny, what card are you thinking of?” Your accomplice turns over the card he is holding and the pub goes mental Mines a Carlsberg! 12JOHN CAREY ONE THOUGHT AND ONE CARD Here is my spin on the classic imaginary card plot. A named/ thought of card is successfully shown to be the one predicted. There are several clever methods for this that have been marketed, using special wallets, double faced and double indexed cards. | wanted something hit leaner and gaff free. Firstly let me give you my script: “Mick, in a deck of cards thete are two types of card. The numbers and the...2” Let them finish the'séntence and then continue: “That's correct, the pictyi@ cards. | think they are the easiest to visualize as they are colorful. The picture cards consist of Jacks, Queens and Kings. Which set do you want fo use? The Kings it is then. Imagine holding those Kings. We don’t néed them all, so do you take out the red Kings or the black Kings? The black Kings it is then. Finally imagine handing one to me. Which ons% The King of Clubs; So we started out with 52 and I'm holding just onecIs there any way we could have known in advance that | would be holdidg that card fo stay in this imaginary game? You made all the choices every step of the way. Inside my pocket | placed a card before | came here today. But not any old card. The King of Clubs!” So that’s my script, let's fill in the details. You will see there’s a no-nonsense approach to it, and only one piece of Equivoque or Magicians choice. I've read similar approaches to this plot which in my opinion drag on too much. This approach is very liberated, loose, and conversational. You will require just three cards; the Jack, Queen, and King of Clubs. Place the Jack in your left pocket, the Queen in your right pocket and the King in 13REFLECTIONS your back pocket. After the opening part of the script where they say picture cards, offer them the free choice of Jacks, Queens or Kings. We will discuss this as if they said Kings but it works just the same with the Jacks or Queens. Ask them to imagine holding them. Mention you don't need them all so do they take out the red Kings or the black Kings? “Take out” is beautifully ambiguous os it can be applied to take out to use, or get rid of. If they say the black Kings segue into the final part of the script. But if they say take out the red Kings simply respond “fine, they're gone.” Finally, ask them to hand you one of the imaginary black Kings. If hey say they handed you the King of Clubs, ask them if there is any way anyone could have known they would hand you this card to stay in the game? Then bring the King of Clubs out from your back pocket and turn it face up to conclude. If they say they handed you the King of Spades your verbiage is modified by saying 10 them: “Meaning you are holding the King of Clubs. Is there any way anyone could have known that YOU would be holding that card to stay in the game?” Then conclude, NOTES This is best presented at quite a quick, but not too hurried pace. There should be no hesitation in your patter, and all seems really fair. I've had so much fun with this and now it’s your turn! 14JOHN CAREY ONE FOR MARLO One for Marlo was inspired by a great gag finale that I saw Bill Malone use on his Malone meets Marlo DVDs. Marlo used the gag/ revelation as the climax of his effect The Unexpected Prediction. You will require about 12 cards all the same. | use the Seven of Diamonds, Place these back outwards into your outer breast pocket. The top cardiof your working deck is the same card. You are ready to work. Execute a riffle shuffle retaining the top card. Table the deck and ask yu? helper to riffle shuffle. Observe their shuffle, and see if they retain your, force card on top. If they,do then ask them to deal a card face down(td their left and then one-fo their right. Request that they do this twice more; forming two packets f three cards. If the force card isn’t on top after thaie shuffle, simply have them deal the cards as above but face up, enabling you to track which packet it is in. Now for some simple, but deceptive Equivoque: “Two packets of cards, but we don't need themall. Please pick up either packet.” If they pick Up the target packet you casually discard the other packet on top of the deck «8 you ask them to mix the packet they hold. However, if they pick up He other packet simply direct them to discard it on top of the deck, then pide up the other packet and mix it. A casual carefree attitude is essential here, as indeed it should be with all Equivoque work. Ask your helper to turn the packet they mixed face up. You have @ one- in-three chance of that card being your force card. If it isn't ask them to deal the three cards into @ face up tabled row. Then mention there's three cards, but we don't need them all. Another standard but effective Equivoque now: Request that they pick up one of the cards with their left hand. If it’s your force card you're golden. If not, immediately ask them to pick up another card with their right hand. If it's another x card direct 15REFLECTIONS your spectator fo discard both on top of the deck, leaving the Seven of Diamonds in view. If however, the second card they pick up is the force card you casually discard the remaining card and ask them to hand you cone of the two cards. If they hand you the x card just discard it on the deck. If they hand you the force card get them to discard their card on the deck. It sounds involved, but it truly isn’t. Just keep it moving without any hesitation or mention of words like eliminate or choose. Now the finale. “So let’s see. You shuffled the deck, you dealt some cards. You shuffled those cards and from random actions carried out entirely by you have arrived at this Seven of Diamonds.” Mention that you have «@ prediction in your pocket. Now for some fun! Fumble around inside you breast pocket for a few seconds and pull out a card from the top of the packet inside, but also expose the backs of a few other cards before taking out a card, showing the match. This will get a laugh and create suspicion. Then a few beats later start pulling out cards from the pocket cone at a time and throwing them face up onto the table showing they are all the same! A great Marlo gag to finish the piece. As in Marlo’s Unexpected Prediction, my routine has a trick that cannot be explained feel to it, but moves along much quicker to the climax. 16JOHN CAREY LIES ALL THE WAY! I’ve always loved the classic lie detector plot. It’s so strong and commercial for the public. The version | offer here was totally inspired by my friend, Dave Solomon's Seven Card Lie Speller from his book Solomon's Mind. Dave was in turn inspired by Jim Steinmeyer's brilliant Nine Card Problem. [ike to present my version as a packet effect I can carry in my wallet. Yous will need six jokers and a random card. | use the Two of Diamonds. Place this card second from the top and pop the cards face down inside yéu? wallet. Introduce the theme of lie detectors, and how they are expensive piéées of equipment used by the police and law enforcement agencies around the world in the investigation of crimes. Mention that you have a much cheaper cardboard version. Take out your wallet and remove the packet from within, Run two single cards in an overhand shuffle and then shuffle off normally, sending your force card to second from bottom of the packet Then deal the cards into hwo packets from left to right, your force card 1g up on top of the packet on your right. We will now force this card using a sneaky verbal equivoque. “I'd like yao to make a decision for me. Left or right?” This is very ambiguous. When you mention a decision for you, point to yourself. If they say left you ask them to look at the top card of the packet on their left. However, if hey say right you ask them fo look at the top card of the packet on YOUR right. Drop the packet on your left on top of the other packet and square up. “will now program the lie detector for three important questions.” Execute a reverse Faro, upjogging every other card and then sirip out the three upiogged cards and place them under the packet. The force card is now third from the top. We will now segue into the three questions. | will give an 17REFLECTIONS example scenario, but as you will see it works regardless of their answers. “The first question for you is your card red or black? You can lie or tell the truth.” Let's say they say black. Deal and spell one card for each letter of black and drop the remaining cards on top. Pick up the packet and ask i it was clubs or spades and then deal and spell as above. Finally ask them what value wos their card? Let’s say they soy it was a King. Deal and spell one card for each letter of that word and drop the remaining cards on top and square up. “So I've asked you three questions and you had the chance to lie or tell the truth. The lie detector will now process your answers! There's actually cone final question | need to ask you: Were your answers Tie, False or Both? You can even lie to that question foo!” If they say True or Both, deal and spell one card for each letter of the word and then deal off the next card as you say you've arrived at.a random card. But if they say False you deal and spell as before and drép the last card of the spell forward onto the table. ‘Ask your spectator to tell the whole truth and name their card. After they name it have them turn over the tabled card to reveal it. Pause a few seconds to allow the revelation to kick in. Then say that you were performing this effect in a bar the other day and someone said that you had been lying all the way and that all the cards were the same! Pause a beat, and then turn each of the six remaining cards face up, one at a time to reveal all Jokers! NOTES With the spelling, if they said red to the colour question, follow up with the second question by asking Heart or Diamond. Then deal and spell etc Such a simple effect, with no moves, but a memorable one for laymen as ind out when you perform it!JOHN CAREY DESTINY Destiny is my take on the classic small packet brainwave effect, made famous by Max Maven with his seminal B’wave effect. My version doesn't use gatfs and has a particularly devious Equivoque built into it. You will need five cards. Four of these are blue backed blank faced cards and the other is a red backed Four of Spades. Take a thick black markiaig pen and on the faces of the blank cards write the letters FATE, one letter on each card. Take the red backed card and on the back write the ward DESTINY. Set the cards up face down in FATE order from the top and pldcd the Four of Spades face up second from the bottom. | will now give you my stript taking you through one scenario, and than. we'll discuss the variables. Bring out the packet face down and table it. “Phill, a little game‘of imagination. | want you to imagine holding five cards. The Ace, To) Three, Four and Five of Spades. Some are odd and some even. In yout imagination do you take,out the odds or the evens? The evens it is then Now which card do you give to me, the two or the four? Ok | hold the four Is there anyway I:could have known that you would give me the foursét Spades to stay in this imaginary game? That packet of cards has been 63 the table since the start. You gave me the four, so | will deal and count four cards. Ah and there's the four of Spades! But was that choice, chance or fate? Let's see what the cards tell us. It must be fate! But sometimes things go beyond fate and the only way of describing it is Destiny!” Let's then discuss the methodology, which, is of course equivoque based. After asking them to imagine holding the Ace to Five of Spades, | mention that some are odd and some are even. | then ask them to take out either group. Take out is a beautifully ambiguous phrase as it can be interpreted as take out to use or get rid off. In our example above they said take out 19REFLECTIONS the evens. If they had said take out the odds | simply state “they're gone.” | next ask my helper to imagine giving me the two or four of Spades. If they say they gave you the four you state: “Is there any way of me knowing that you would give me the Four of Spades to stay in this imaginary game?” Hf, however they say they gave you the Two of Spades you ask them is there anyway | could have known that you would be holding the Four of Spades to stay in the game? The above Equivoque is lean and mean and most deceptive. But you must do it without hesitation or guilt. Now for the three-phase revelations. | deal and count to four as | deal the cards from right to left forming a row. The face up Four of Spades appears on ‘four’, The remaining card is dealt next to it. Allow this moment to kick in before continuing. Then turn each of the face down cards face up to to reveal the word FATE. Finally turn the four of Spades face up to disclose a red back and the word DESTINY!JOHN CAREY OPENCAAN V've always liked combining card plots. Sometimes it can lead to very satisfying routines. In this piece we are combining the open prediction plot with the venerable card at any number. The use of my amazingly talented friend Justin Higham’s beautiful illogical Ace cutting procedure produces a very strong effec, that’s not at all difficult to do. Set up your deck by placing three cards on top that total 16. | use a seven, three, and a six spot. Place the Jack of Diamonds at position 19 from the top of the deck and finally take @ business card and on the back of it wfite ‘Jack of Diamonds’ big and bold. Bring out the business card, prediction side down and set it aside. Toke’ duh your deck and execute any deceptive false shuffle and/or cut to retain your set up. Table the face down deck to your right. Ask a spectator to cut off about a third of the deck, and then table it to your left. Then have them 21REFLECTIONS cut off another third, and table it next to the first packet they cut thus forming a row of three packets. Your target packet is the one on your left. Pick up the leftmost packet from above in the right hand and gently drop. that packet into the palm-up left hand. This hand moves forward a few inches and turns palm down, at the same time pushing off the top card face up to the table. Bring your left hand back towards you and turn it palm up. Take the packet from above with your right hand and drop it on top of the centre packet. Toss that combined packet into the left hand and repeat the above dealing sequence, moving the hand forward, turning palm down and pushing and dealing off a face up card next to the first card. ‘Once more bring your hand back towards you and turn it palm up. Take that packet from above in the right hand and drop it on top of the remaining tabled packet. Then repeat the previous deal off procedure, dealing a third face up card to the table. A seven, three, and six spot will be on display. Rhythm is essential when performing the above sequence. If the timing is right the illusion of three random cards coming from the packets they cut to is beautiful. 22JOHN CAREY Table the face down deck and pick up the business card. Turn it over fo reveal the Jack of Diamonds written down, Comment on how your spectator cut to the three random cards on the table. Ask the spectator to add up the values, where they will get 16. Have them pick up the deck and deal and count out loud to that number, where they will be most amazed to find that very same card! 23REFLECTIONS SUSPICIOUS PREDICTION Here’s a fun routine that’s ideal for close up work. You bring out «@ purse and five cards. Each card has a small object depicted on it. They mix the face down cards and lay them down in o row. They then decide upon a card and it's turned over and a dice is shown in the picture. You pick up the purse and say that you made a prediction. You open the purse and fumble a few seconds and eventually remove a dice. “You look like you're thinking there's five objects inthe purse?! Actually there arel!!”"To h you remove four more dice out one at a time. BOOM!!! From a method point of view, this is very simple. Take five blank faced cards and draw or write the name of different small objects on each. | use «a dice on one of the cards. The back of the dice card is marked with a pencil or sharpie dot. You will also require a purse or pouch of some kind, Inside it place five small dice. Bring out the props and seh the purse aside. Turn over the cards and display the five objects written/drawn on the back of each. Hand the packet face down to a helper for mixing. Take back the packet and deal the cards into a face down row, secretly locating where your marked card is. We will now force that dice card using our old friend equivogue. | will give one scenario and then cover the variables, | mention there’s five cards on the table, but we don’t need all of them. ask my helper to push three towards me, Then | ask them to hand me cone of the two remaining cards, which I turn over to reveal a dice. That's the perfect scenario where they push three x cards towards me and then hand me the marked card which I then turn over to reveal. If in the above scenario they hand you the other card you simply drop it on top of the 24JOHN CAREY other three cards and request your spectator turns the card they decided to jerk face up. If however they push three cards towards you and one of them is your marked card you proceed differently. Casually push the other two cards aside out of the action area. Then ask your helper to pick up any two cards. If they are x cards you request that they set them aside with the others and then turn the remaining card face up revealing dice. But if one of the two cards they pick up is your target card, you simply push the other card aside and then ask your spectator to hand you either card, Deal with it exactly as in the very first scenario, either discarding or turning it face up. The above sounds involved, but it truly isn't. Just rehearse the variables and move confidently through the process without hesitationior any death words like eliminate or get rid ofl Pick up the purse and open it. Reach inside and fumble around a few seconds in a suspicious fashion, Then remove a dice to reveal a matching prediction. Your audience will call you out on this and it’s a funny moment Pause a beat and then remove the other dice one at a time to conclude this amusing mystery. 25REFLECTIONS DICE WAVE Taking a card plot and applying it to other objects is sometimes fruitful. Dice Wave is a case in point, inspired by the premise of Max Maven’s wonderful B/Wave effect. For this effect you will need four translucent dice, one red and three clear. | got mine from eBay. Pop them in a small plastic box and you are ready for a very nice piece of pocket Mentalism. Bring out the box and set it onto the table. As this piece is pure Equivoque or verbal control, | will give you one scenario in a script and then after cover the variables: “Phill, a little game of imagination or make believe. | want you to imagine that inside that box are four dice, two are dark colors, red and black and the others are light colored, yellow and orange. In your imagination do you take out the light colours or the dark colours? The dark colours it is then. Further imagine the light colours fading away. Do you want me to have the red dice or the black dice? Ok I get the red dice as the black dice you didn’t want me to have simply fades away. Is there any way | could have known that you would decide to give me the red dice ahead of time? Let’s open that box and see what happens when imagination meets reality. Strange but true, just one red dice and three others that simply faded away!” The above is one example of how this can pan out. They said they took out the dark colours so we simply continue by saying the light colours will fade away. If however, they say they took out the light colours we retort by saying ok they’re gone and just fade away. "Take out’ is « beautiful ambiguous phrase as we can use it to mean ‘take out fo use’ or ‘remove’, or ‘get rid of. We then asked our helper to imagine giving us either the red dice or the black. If they give us the red, you immediately say that's the one they decided to give you and the black dice fades away. If they soy they gave 26JOHN CAREY you the black dice you would respond by saying through freewill they decided to keep the red dice as your black dice fades away. It seems a lot to remember, but it truly isn’t as a few test runs rehearsing the variables will prove. Keep it moving, with no hesitation and you will get the results. To conclude the effect you draw attention to the small box that’s been on the table since the beginning. You then comment on what can happen when you combine imagination with reality. The box is opened and the contents are tipped out, showing a red dice and three others where the colours have well and truly faded away... 27REFLECTIONS OLD WINE | will never forget when | was a child the man in the magic shop fooled me so badly with the hot rod trick. | bought it and did it all the time for friends. Recently, while researching forces in general | realized just how clever the number force used in this classic trick is. | began to play with some applications. Here’s one of my favorites. You will need a blue deck of blank faced cards and a red backed force card, let’s soy it’s the Seven of Diamonds. ‘Set that stranger card on the bottom of the deck and you're ready to rumble! Bring out the deck and false shuffle or cut retaining the stranger card on the bottom. Cut the deck into six packets, arranging things so that the packet with your force card on the bottom is third from your right. We will now segue into the hot rod forge. Ask a helper to name a number from one to six inclusive. If they say one you spell to it from right to left touching packets. If they say two you do the same. If three is Ramed you count to it from right to left. However if they say four you count fo it from the left end row of packets. For five, you spell to it from left to right and for six you spell from right to left. Pick up the force packet and show the face/force card to them as you look ‘way. Then assemble the packets and square up. Table the deck. Comment on how they are just thinking of a card. Ask them to send their thoughts to you, one step at a fime. Firstly the colour, then the suit and finally the value. Make the moment and divine their card. Pause to allow reaction and then mention that you have a surprise for them! Ribbon spread the deck face down and a red card shows amongst the blues. Extract that card and turn it face up to reveal their card. To conclude the mystery mention that you was doing this trick the other day and someone scid all the cards were the same? A moment later turn the deck face up and ribbon spread it fo completely smoke them with the all blanks kicker. In a nutshell, highly commercial! 28JOHN CAREY YOURS AND MINE Here’s another application of the hot rod force, this time for a fun, commercial just chance type effect. Before getting into the description | must mention that Max Maven was the first to use the wordplay of ‘yours and mine’ in a Just Chance piece on one of his Video Mind DVDs. You will require six blank faced cards. On five of them write the word MINE big and bold with a marker. On the other card write YOURS. Have the ‘yours’ card on top of the face down packet and you are set. Bring out the packet face down and overhand shuffle the top card to the bottom and shuffle off normally, Then run three more cards in a shuffletd the bottom and square Up. This positions the ‘yours’ card third from top. Deal out the cards in a left to right face down row. State that they are going to make a decision and that you will ‘cast a spell’ over the cards: This great line comes from my friend Newell Unfried. It’s great when applied to the upcoming hotrod force where you will either count or spall to your force card. Ask ahélper to name a number from one to six. Now we simply apply the hot rod force: 1. Spell ONE from the right end of the row. 2. The same as one. 3. Count three from the right end Count four from the left end of the row. 5. Spell FIVE from the left end of the row. 6. Spell SIX from the right end of the row. 29REFLECTIONS Push the target card towards your helper after the count or spell. “So this is yours and those are mine. Turn it over. See it even says so! So if that’s yours, then these must be MINE MINE MINE MINE MINE!” Turn each of your cards face up as you finish your statement to conclude a short, snappy and very commercial piece of Mentalism. 30JOHN CAREY THE COVERT PREDICTION The Covert Prediction is quite possibly one of my favorite effects Ve created. There’s no technical work to speak of, the real work lying in the smoke and mirrors of the presentation. In fact I'm going to give you an outline of my presentation first, so that you can get a sense or feel fox, how this plays out. “Fabrice, a little mystery witha deck of cards and four dice. Please ‘all them a few times so that you can see that they are not loaded or fixed’if) any way. Now because you see a deck of cards you may think that lfm going to ask you to select a card? But actually, I’m not. You see, | have, lucky card here.in my wallet that | catry with me everywhere. Ii's a very old card given to me by a Gypsy | once met at a Carnival. He told meio use it wisely I's the Five of Hearts. Hedrts define emotions they say. We also need 3 random number. You remember earlier you rolled those dice a few times Nobody in the world could have foreseen which numbers they would land ‘on, or in fact what the total of those numbers would be correct? If we add them up we get 17. But it could have been any number. | will deal the cards one at a time to the random total you created and then stop. | will now turn over the card at your number. Impossiblell!” At the risk of immodesty, very strong right? The good news is you will be able to perform this very quickly, but please pay attention fo the litle subtleties that make this play. Ahead of time or between tricks position the Five of Hearts at position 12 from the top of the deck. You will require four dice and an old antique style cord that's the Five of Hearts. Put that card away in your wallet, 31REFLECTIONS Bring out the cards and dice as you introduce the effect. False shuffle retaining your set up and set the deck down. Ask your spectator to roll the dice a few times. Do not comment on numbers. However you do covertly add up the four numbers rolled and remember that total. Let's say the total is 17. Pick up the deck and as per the script, when you mention that they are probably thinking you are going to ask them to choose a card, you casually deal five cards from the face of the deck into a packet and then drop the balance of the deck on top. Job done. If the total you secretly noted is less than 12 you will make the open displacement with the deck face down. You now mention that you have a lucky card an old Gypsy gave you at a Carnival. Bring out your wallet and take out the Five of Hearts. Hand it to your helper. Next state that you need d random number. It’s only NOW that you focus on the dice and the numbers rolled earlier. Comment on how any total was possible. Have the four numbers rolled added up to form a total. Then very cleanly’and fairly deal face down to that total. Pause a few seconds and then turn the last card dealt over to reveal the Five of Hearts and conclude this mystery... 32JOHN CAREY COVERT 2.0 If you liked the sly modus operandi to the Covert Prediction, you may wish to give this variant a road test foo. It uses the same under the radar approach to get secret information right out in the open, but this time it's for a straight to the point card at any number, as opposed to a predicted card at any number. Grab three dice this fime and let's rumble... Bring out a deck of cards and three dice. Casually ask a spectator to rel them a couple of times, but do not mention numbers. Covertly remember the total rolled. Let’s say it totals 11. Ask your helper to cut off abouf.d third of the deck and shuffle it. Then tell them that in a moment you will turn away and they are to deal and count the cards to lock a randén number into their mind: By way of demonstration you silently deal’ J cards to the table from your packet and then pick them up and replace 6A, top, securing a pinky break beneath that packet. Convert that packet inte @ small step and table the packet and turn away. So they count their packet and get soy 19. Ask them to square up {Ke cards and peek at the bottém/face card and put the thought of that card info their mind. Confirm they have done that and turn back around #6 face them. Pick up the other tabled packet and convert the step into“ pinky-break beneath the 11th card. The right hand takes the deck frond above palm-down and transfers the break to the thumb. Dribble off to the break and extend the left hand and it’s cards and have them replace their packet. Drop your remaining cards on top and square up. Then execute your favorite false cut or false shuffle and table the deck “Jack, numbers are everywhere in our lives. Door numbers, phone numbers, PIN numbers, the list goes on and on. Right here, right now you are thinking of a card and a number. Let's make it even more difficult. Remember earlier you rolled those dice? If we add them up we get 11. But any number was possible yes? Add that number to the number you 33REFLECTIONS are thinking of fo form an even more random number that nobody in the world could possibly know. Got it? Get it? Good... For the first time tell everyone what number you are now thinking of and also what card? Thirty is a big number, Jack! Deal and count face down and stop on your number. Finally call out your card again? Impossible!!!” He counts, he deals and hopefully should freak out!! 34JOHN CAREY FREE CUT ACCAN In recent years there’s been a massive interest in the card at any number plot. Some magicians and mentalists seem obsessed with it! What | offer here is a very strong and easy semi automatic approach which I've had so much fun with. Discard a card as you need a 51 card deck for this method which relies on the free cut principle, invented by John Murray and popularized by Gene Finnel. You will also require a business card. On the back of it write ‘YOUR NUMBER!" “Today I'm going to attempt to predict the future. If that doesn’t work} will show you a card trick! Eatlier | wrote a prediction on the back of this business card. “Shannony{ want you to think of a number. Less than 1018 not very interesting and more than 40 is boring! With that in mind, call au any number. So 30 itis! Would you be amazed if your number was written, on the back of my card? Turn it over! Ok that's just a bit of fun, let’s move on and do a card trick!” The above opening gambitis fun but also hos a covert purpose. In dup example they name 30 and then we do the gag with the business card: Remember that number as you say enough of your silly jokes, let’s dowd card trick. Take out the deck and ribbon or hand to hand spread it face Up. "Let's get a few of you guys involved in some shuffling. Spread off (12 cards and hand them to a spectator. | do this by spreading off in three groups of five cards and then two more. Repeat this and hand a second packet of 17 cards to a second person and finally hand the remaining cards to a third helper for shuffling. Have the three packets tabled face down next to each other in a row. We will then segue into the beautiful free cut concept as a selection is made. Ask one of your spectators to point to one of the packets. Then instruct them cut away some cards from that packet and remember the bottom card and then ask them to place that packet on top of either of the 35REFLECTIONS other two packets. Next have them place the other 17 card packet on top of those cards and finally pick up the remaining small packet and drop that on top. Due to the free cut principle the selection is automatically controlled to 34th from the top or 18th from the face of the deck. Execute any convincing false shuffle or false cut. Now we can exploit the earlier information (their number) that we acquired under the smoke and mirrors of a joke. In our example they called out 30. Naturally, if they call out 34 or 18 we are golden and the selection can be found at either number by dealing and counting from the top or face of the deck. But when this doesn’t happen we will use a very simple open displacement. With our example number of 30 deal off four cards face-up from the top 36JOHN CAREY to the table and ask if their card is there? They will say “no, of course. Flip the deck face-up and deal a few cards from the face on top of those and repeat your question. Then calmly pick up that packet and drop it onto the face of the deck and then table it face down. Your work is done. Remind your audience that earlier a number was freely thought of and called. The deck was shuffled and a free selection made. Pick up the deck and deal and count to the chosen number, ask for the name of the selection and turn over the card at the thought of number and take your applause. Let’s deal with the variables now. All you have to remember and do-is make the open displacement from the top of the deck as taught above if the number is high, like 30, 29, 40 etc. However if the number called wad less than 18, we make the open deal displacement in reverse. So if, for example, they, called out 13 we would deal off five cards from the face and ask if they see their selection and then turn the deck face down and deal a few.cards face up onto the tabled cards, asking if they see-it now? Then pick up the face up cards, flip them face-down on top of fhe deck and then table it face up.’A moment later deal and count face Up from the face to reveal their:card at their number. If you get a number like 24 or 25, make the first deal displacement discussed, dealing face up from the top, flipping the deck face up and dealing a couple more and then placing the dealt cards onto the faceOF the deck. Then ask for the number they thought of earlier and finish by making the deal and count from the face of the deck. Just run through the above a few times with cards in hand and think of random numbers and do what's necessary. You will have it down in no time and will have added a powerful rendition of a classic plot to your repertoire. 37REFLECTIONS ONE 2 ONE Away from more formal performance, we always run into a situation where we are asked to perform something by a friend or an individual person who knows we are a magician, One 2 One is perfect for such a situation and leaves that person with a nice gift too. All you need for this mystery is your mobile/cell phone and three cards,two blank faced and the other the Queen of Spades. Set these up face down in Queen, blank, blank order and pop them in your wallet or purse. So you're asked to do something in a one to one situation. Suggest a little experiment as you bring out the three face down cards. “Have you ever seen what playing cards look like before they are printed? Well as you can see, these have backs but ho faces.” As you say this double turnover showing a blank. Turn the double face down and deal the top card (Queen) to the table. Flip over the remaining two cards showing blanks. Comment you will only need one card, as you pop them back into your wallet and pocket them, “Let's try an experiment in visualization. | want you first to hold this card the face towards me and I’m going to take a photo of you.” Pick up the face-down card and turn the face of this card towards you without exposing its face. Ask your helper to hold their hand out palm-up with their fingers pointing upwards. Place the card between their thumb and fingertips for them to hold. Pick up your phone and take a photograph of them holding what they believe to be a blank card. Take back the card ‘and put it away. “This is a fun experiment that ladies seem to like. So with that in mind, imagine now that you hold the four ladies of the deck, the Queens, in your hand. Beautiful and colorful personalities. But we don't need them all so you take out two. Do you take out the Reds or 38JOHN CAREY ‘the Blacks? The Blacks it is then. Then you hand one of them to me. Which cone? The Queen of Spades, a card formed merely in your imagination. Is there any way | could have known you would give me that card to stay in this game of make believe? Imagination is one thing, but sometimes reality kicks in. You remember we took a photo of you holding a card earlier with no identity. Let's take another look at that photo to see what if anything has happened. Oh my word, now that is spooky! Let me text it to you right now as a litle gift of the time we spent together.” Pretty strong eh? So yes, we Equivoque to the Queen of Spades as pet, my script above. If they say they take out the red Queens you simply say “fine, they're gone.” If they say they gave you the Queen of Clubs, yeu say “meaning you're holding onto the Queen of Spades. Is there any, way we could have known that you would be holding onto that card tha? resides purely in your,imagination?” Open your phone up and let them react. Then text it to them as a nice gift which should leave a very lasting impression. NOTE Anice group version without a phone is possible. After the double turnover put the face down Queen into their hand and segue into the Equivodé above. Then reveal the card in their imagination has printed in their hand. 39REFLECTIONS THE SPREAD DROP FALSE CUT This false cut was inspired by John Bannon's ‘Double Dutch’ false-cut from one of his Big Blind Media DVDs. My variant is very casual and nonchalant. Spread off about a quarter of the deck into the right hand and drop that packet to your left. Repeat this, spreading and dropping another quarter or so and drop them to the right of the first packet, but leove a gap of about six inches. Spread off a third quarter and toss them into the gap and finally drop the remaining packet to the right end of the row. We will now reassemble thé packets. Imagine they are numbered one to four, from left to right. Pick up packet one and casually drop it on top of packet three. Next pick up packet two and drop it on top of packet four. Finally pick up packet that is made up of one and three, and drop it on top. of packet that is made up of two and four, then square up. The deception is complete. 40REFLECTIONS THE PERCEPTION FALSE SHUFFLE Would you like a highly deceptive false shuffle that's sleight free? The Perception false shuffle should make you smile then. | wos inspired by a Gary Oullet false cut called The Paradise Cut, that he had in one of his Genii columns back in the day, So let’s say you have a stacked deck of some sort. The deck starts out face up in left hand dealing grip. Push over about five fo seven cards into the palm up right hand. Turn the right hand palm-down and gently toss/drop. the packet face down onto the table. Bring the right hand back to meet the left hand and push another émall packet from the face of the left-hands cards into it. Turn the right hand palm-down once more and bring it a few inches over the tabled packet and let the cards it’s holding drop onto the tabled cards, but overlapped or jogged a few inches to the right. Now simply repeat the above two step procedure, dropping and overlapping packets until the deck is exhausted. Be very loose and casual as you make the spreads and drops and don't look at your hands. The palm-down right hand descends upon the tabled cards and makes an elongated ribbon spread towards you by sliding the overlapping packets towards you. A beautiful illusion of the cards being mixed is seen. Ask a helper to push the cards together and square up. Your work is done... 42REFLECTIONS TO THE POWER OF SIX... The beauty of Equivocal card work is that if you don’t know the exact effect, how on earth can they? This is what makes Dai Vernon's masterpiece, The Trick That Cannot Be Explained such a profound mystery. The following piece is a trimmed down pseudo version I've had so much fun with. Set the Seven of Diamonds secretly on top of the deck. Run through it with me a few times, cards in hand and | predict you will want to get out there and use it. Ahead of time take a business ¢ard and write a prediction card on the back of it, | always use the Seven of Diamonds: Slip that business card, printed side up under the cellophane of your card box. | will share my ‘opening script with you and then we will cover exactly what you need to do to bring this mystery home. “Chad, today | want to share something with you that is all about you. Firstly give the cards one good shuffle just like the croupiers in Las Vegas. That's great. We are going to use what mathematicians call « perfect number. That number is six. | can sense you're wondering just why? Well, if you add all the numbers divisors, excluding the number itself you get six. One plus two plus three equals? See what | mean? Please deal six cards face down from the deck you just shuffled Furthermore, pick up that packet and shuffle it. Now deal the top card face up to the table.” Let's break off from the script now and deal with all the multiple outcomes: When you ask them to riffle shuffle, cut a few cards more than half to the right. This bias in the packets will keep the target card either on top or 44JOHN CAREY ‘amongst the top few cards. Dani DaOrtiz showed me this great ruse. Now the variables: 1. If the top card dealt face up is your target card, you are golden. Remind them they shuffled the deck, they dealt six cards, they shuffled those cards and then reveal your perfect prediction on your business card. 2. Ifthe first card that is dealt face up isn't your target card, simply instruct them to continue dealing the cards face up into a tabled packet. If you're target card is the last card dealt you are once again golden. Build it up and bring the thing home. 3. If the target card ends up second from the face, ask them to pick Up the face up packet and mix the cards some more by dealing left to right into two packets and then place the left hand portion onto the face of the other portion. The packet is turned face down and your target card is 68 top ready fo be revealed. If the target card is second from the top have them do a left to right face face up deal as above and then place the [aft hand section onto the face of the other section. The target card is now on the face... 4, If the target card is third-from the face we will segue straight into He classic hot rod force. Askfér a number from one to six. If they say oneor two | mention that | have a Gypsy friend who reads people's fortunes wit cards and she thinks of numbers in turns of words. Deal and spell ONESr TWO to arrive at your pre determined card 5. If three is named we simply deal and count three cards from the face. 6. If four is named we turn the packet face down and deal and count four cards. Then turn the last card dealt face up. 7. If five is named we turn the packet face down, mention the Gypsy and deal and spell FIVE to arrive at our target. 8. For number six we deal and spell SIX from the face. 45REFLECTIONS Of course if the target card ends up third from top we do the hot rod force as above, but in reverse. So for three we would deal and count three cards from a face down packet, for five we would spell from a face up packet etc. It isn’t at all difficult to remember these variables. They will become self intuitive after some practice. “So Chad, everything’s been under your control and decisions. Fate hos determined that the Seven of Diamonds represents you. Diamonds is a sign of wealth, but that may mean wealth not of a financial kind, but more of a wealth or richness in family life and gratitude for the ones that you love and those who love you. Seven is they say lucky. There’s Seven days in the week, the Seven wonders of the world and so on. Please pick up the box and you will see o business card |'slipped under the cellophane earlier today. | wrote a message on the other side. Please read it out. Impossible!!!" 46JOHN CAREY TRIPLETS The following triple prediction effect uses a marked deck. Do not turn the page! You could achieve this effect with @ regular deck, but it wouldn't be nearly as clean. Since the Penguin $5 Marked Decks came out | constantly use them. We will see in this effect, how they aid you to create a very strong piece of strange... You will require three business cards, the marked deck, and of courseya pen. “Playing cards aren't just used by magicians and gamblers. For centuries they've been used by psychics and shamans to tell the past, present ahd future. Lets see if we can delve into the future with the cards, Please shuffle. them.” Once the deck has been shuffled by your spectator take it back and table it face down, covertly using thaf opportunity to read the marks of the fap card of the deck. Let’s say for the purposes of this write up it’s the Acevof Clubs. Pick up @ business card and the pen, feign concentration for a few seconds and then write the card you peeked on the back of the business card sight unseen: Table it writing side down to your left. Ask your helpér fo cut away a small packet of cards. Further ask them roughly how mdfiy cards they think they cut off? Run with their answer and have them deal and count the packet to your left, sending the Ace of Clubs to the bottom. Comment on how near or far they were and place your first prediction in front of the packet. Secretly note the top card of the balance of the deck. Let's say it’s the Four of Hearts. Pick up another business card, look at your spectator a moment and then write Four of Hearts onto the back of the card and table it writing side down to the right of the first packet and business card. Pick up the deck and hand to hand spread. Toke out any card from the spread and hand it 47REFLECTIONS to the spectator. We will now use Bill Simon's fantastic Prophecy Move for this second phase, and at the same time get way ahead for phase three. Ask your helper to stab the card they're holding into the deck, but leove it protruding. Hand to hand spread until you get fo the protruding card. Take all the cards above it loosely squared into the palm up right hand. Turn the right hand palm down and use it to turn the protruding card face up and end up jogged face up on top of it as the right hand moves away a couple of inches with its packet and the face up card on top. Bring the hands together and place the left hands cards on top of the rights, secretly transposing both halves and at the same time secretly setting the Four of Hearts immediately underneath and next to the face up protruding card. “Let's take out the Card next fo the one you stabbed into the deck.” Hand-to-hand spread slowly as you'spread down towards the face up. card, Use this opportunity to secretly remember the seventh card from the top by reading the marks. We shall say it’s the Seven of Spades. Continue spreading until you reach the face up card. Take out the card underneath it and table it to the right of the first tabled packet. Remove the face up card and replace it face down into the deck around centre. Table the deck and pick up the remaining business card and act out a moment of concentration. Then write Seven of Spades onto the back of the card. Table it writing side down to the right of the table sight unseen. “Numbers play an important role in our lives. Please call out a number between say Five and Ten?” We will now use the brilliant ‘Curious Count’ by Fred Taylor to force the card we secretly know at position seven. If they say ‘six’, you pick up the deck and deal and count six cards face down and deal off the next card, your target card in front of the third business card. If they say seven, you deal and count seven cards and place the last card dealt in front of your prediction. If they call out eight you deal and count off in pairs, dropping them to the table as you say “two, four, six, eight.” Pick up the top card of the packet dealt and place it in front of your prediction. Finally, if they say nine you deal off cards in threes, dropping them to the table as you say “three, of the third business card. 48 ;, nine.” Table the last card in frontJOHN CAREY So this evening, I've attempted to look into the future. You shuffled the deck and I wrote a message on three business cards before you selected three cards in three different ways. Let me show you what | wrote.” Turn over each business card to reveal the names of different cards. Pause a beat and then turn over the packet they cut next to the first prediction to reveal a perfect match. Then turn over the second selection to once more reveal a match. Finally turn over the third selection to successfully complete this futuristic mystery... 49REFLECTIONS DON’T MAKE ME CROSS... I could have simply called this piece ungaffed Brainwave, but that’s bit bland. There's been a few very nice approaches to this plot, including Simon Lovell’s SLOB. | wanted something a bit different handling wise, so here itis You will require blue backed deck. Take out five different cards from this deck; | use the Ace of Clubs, Four of Hearts, Seven of Spaces, Ten of Diamonds, and King of Clubs and discard them and replace them with those exact same cards from a fed deck. Take a morker and draw a big cross on the back of them, Place the stranger cards on the face of the deck, Ace on the face and put it away in the blue box. Remove the deck and execute a false shuffle. | use a simple centre Hindu shuffle, pulling out a chunk of cards from the middle and shuffle them on top, retaining the five red cards on the bottom of the deck. Give the deck a straight cut and complete the cut, centralizing the red backed cards. Raise both hands and start pushing off small clumps of cards off the top. into your right hand. Continue pushing off small packets until you see the 50JOHN CAREY first red backed card arrive. Then slowly push off the red cards one at time and ask your helper fo think of one of them. Naturally you push off just the five red cards. Square up the deck and table it face up. “So, Jack you didn’t toke a card, touch a card or cut to a card. You merely thought of one yes?” Get confirmation of this and ask them to call out fhe card they are thinking of? Let's Say it’s the Seven of Spades. Pick up He deck and hand fo hand spread it until you arrive at their thought of catdl Take it out and table it. Spread one card past the last card of your setup and secure a pinky break beneath it as you square up. Cut to the bredie and complete the cut, then turn the deck face down. Your four red backed cards are beneath the top blue card Ribbon spread the face down deck across the table from left to right, keeping the top stock hidden under the cover card. “Earlier today | just couldn't get a card out of my head, so | took out a card from another deck and drew a cross on the back. You merely thought of that Seven of Spades. Please turn it over. That's amazing!” 51REFLECTIONS ONE THOUGHT ONE SPELL... I must admit I’ve not been the greatest fan of spelling tricks over the years. Recently, however, while studying the work of my friend, Ramon Rioboo, | hit on a presentational gambit that makes this more of an empowerment effect, where your spectator is in the limelight and made to be the star. A few road tests on your behalf will show you that this thing has power... Bring out a deck of cards, a business card and a pen. Have the deck really well shuffled and upon return:ribbon spread the deck face up across the table. Covertly note the 12th card from the top as you do this. | make the spread a slow, wide and deliberate one to give me ample time to get my secret information, as | comment on how well they mixed the cards. Gather up the deck and table it face down. “Jack, have you ever had that experience where you hear a great song ‘on the radio and for the rest’of the day you simply can’t get it out of your head? I'm sure it’s happened to all of us at some point. Working with cards as much as | do, sometimes | can't get a card out of my head! In fact, since this morning I've had one particular card merely in my mind. Let me commit to it in writing.” Pick up the business card and pen and write down the card you secretly peeked earlier sight unseen. Table the business card “| would now like you to commit to a card. Cut off a fairly big packet and we will remove the card you cut to.” You ask them to cut off a fairly big packet - obviously more than 12. If they cut foo shallow simply ask them fo cut more to ‘make it more difficult.’ Remove the card they cut to and table it face down. Reassemble the deck as you mention that they are §2JOHN CAREY doing everything. Ask your helper to turn over the card they cut to. Let's say for example it’s the Four of Hearts. That's perfect for us as it spells with 12 letters. “In the interests of transparency, | will tell you now that isn’t the card I'm thinking of, Jack. But maybe that card is like some secret code or cypher and is telling us something? In fact when Gypsies read people’s fortunes, they think of the cards in terms of words, more than numbers. Let’s deal and spell one card for each letter of that card you cut fo. In a moment we will turn the last card dealt over. But first, please turn over my business card and read out my thoughts. Now turn over the last card dealt. You. did amazingly well and the cards have spoken!” VARIABLES So most cards cam be spelt to with 12 letters, in one way or another. Just remember the Clubs is five letters, the Hearts and Spades six letters and the Diamonds eight letters. Sometimes you may need to spell the suit in the singular, sometimes you may need to remove the ‘of’ word. Létlg look at a few examples. Then it’s up to you to do some practice drills with random cards so you know exactly what to do without hesitation. Queen of Diamonds - This spells with 15 letters so | would omit thesof word, spell and deal Queen and then Diamond and turn the lost eid dealt face up. Two of Hearts - spell the whole card and then turn the next card face up. Five of Clubs - same as the Two of Hearts. Jack of Hearts - deal and spell the whole card and turn over the last card dealt. Six of Clubs - For this card and the Ace, Two, and Ten of Clubs you need 53REFLECTIONS fo add the word The to the spell, starting with the card they cut to and turn cover the last card of the spell. It sounds hard, but it truly isn’t as a few practice drills will show you. Most importantly you now have an effect that makes the spectator the star. A worthwhile goal | believe... 54JOHN CAREY BLUFF CTP How about making three signed cards teleport to three different pockets with no palming and no fakes? | wouldn't be at all surprised if someone else has had the same idea as what I'm going to teach you, but I haven't seen it. Secretly put a card back outwards inside your outer breast pocket and right hand trousers and jacket pockets ahead of time. From a shuffled deck in use have three cards selected and signed and upon return contol them to the top. | use a multiple shift for this, although feel free to Usd another method. Get a left pinky break under the top three cards. “What | will attempt todo is not a magic trick. | simply cast a shadow éver the deck and all three signed cards will teleport to three different pockets; So make the moment and bring out @ card from your breast pocket and place it side-jogged on top of the deck. A moment later remove a card from your right jacket pocket and place it on top of the side-jogged card Finally, remove the card from your right trousers pocket and place that on top of the side-jogged card. Be sure to clearly show your hand empl before it goes to each pocket. Pick up the three side-jogged cards from above with the palm dod right hand. We will now execute J.K Hartman's beautiful multiple count switch. Bring the right hand back over the deck. You will make the switch as you count the cards out loud. Secretly grip the three cards below your break as you load the packet you are holding on top of the deck. Be sure to put your put your left thumb across the packet. The left hand moves away as you say “one”. Bring the right hand back to the deck and peel off a card from the packet it holds onto the deck and leave it side-jogged as you say “two” 55REFLECTIONS Place the double card you are left holding side-jogged onto the deck as you say “three”. Bring the right hand over the side-jogged cards from above and square them, then come away with three cards as your left hand turns palm up and ribbon spreads the deck face up across the table. Make a one-handed fan of the three cards you hold and then turn each card face up to reveal the signed selections.JOHN CAREY CREATIVITY... Lots of magicians tell me they wish they were creative. The first step to being creative is fo stop wishing and tell yourself that you are creative! Let's say that you are not only a magician, but also love to cook, play with ingredients and make nice meals. Well that means you are creative. Magic is the same. Try things out, play, ask yourself what | consider the real magic words and the key to unlocking that creativity! "What If?” Take an effect you like and perform on auto pilot and ask yourself how cart I make this different from what the others do with it? Now that could mean, jumping out of your comfort zone and taking risks. Instead of playing cards for said effect, maybe use old sepia style photos to give the piss. some texture and meaning. One thing | cannot understate is also the need for the tools and foundation to get the job done. The more you've studied on this beautiful game We love to play, the easier it is to create. Without those tools and knowledge it's @ difficult road. So in a nutshell, dare and push yourself to be different, play with ideas constantly, even the crazy ones. You just never know what you might coffié up with. 57REFLECTIONS THE PUP FORCE The Pick up Prophecy Force was accidentally discovered while looking at something completely different. It uses the dynamics of Bill Simon's classic Prophecy Move for a particularly deceptive card force. Have a Joker on top of the deck and your force card on the bottom. Deal off the Joker face down to the table and then execute a slip shuffle, retaining your force card on the bottom of the deck. Riffle down the corner of the deck and ask @ spectator to stop you. Once stopped you lift away at that point and side jog the upper half a moment. Then take that packet into the palm up right hand and go dawn to the table and pick up the face down Joker as your right hand turns palm down to do so. Pick up the Joker beneath the packet in a forward jogged position and then lift the hand away from the table and turn it palm upwards as both hands then come together, placing the left hand packet on top of the rights, secretly juxtaposing both halves, leaving the Joker protruding face up from the deck, with your force card now immediately above it. Table the deck a moment and converse. Then bring the palm down right hand over the deck and lift away all the cards above the face up Joker away. Raise the face of this packet towairds the spectator and ask them to remember the card they ‘stopped at’. Assemble the deck and take out the Joker. Your work is done... 58REFLECTIONS THE SLOW SLIP FORCE I've never been the biggest fan of the slip force. Probably because when I’ve seen it used it looked horrible. What | offer here is a version that can be done quite slowly and is very deceptive. Your force card starts out on top. Execute @ riffle shuffle, retaining it on top. Hold the deck in left hand dealing grip and riffle down the outer left corner with your thumb and ask a helper to stop you. When stopped lift off all the cards at the separation and side jog them about an inch. Bring your right hand away a moment and gesture with itas you mention that they could have stopped at Ghy point. Bring this hand back to the deck in «a palm down position and take away all side jogged cards, at the same time pulling back the top force card with the left thumb into alignment the cards below. The deck is screenied by the back of the right hand as you do this. Table the side-jogged packet and then come back with the right hand and take off the top card of the left-hand packet and raise the face of it for your spectator to remember. Then drop it on top of the tabled packet and finally drop the left-hands cards on top and square up. Proceed with your trick.JOHN CAREY R.S FORCES Here are a couple more deceptive forces for your toolbox. One is a top card force, the other a bottom card force. They both use the reverse spread concept to force a card in a stealth like manner. Let's discuss the top card force first. Execute a riffle shuffle retaining the force card on top. Hold the deck in left hand dealing grip. Riffle down.the outer left corner of the deck with your thumb and ask a helper to stop yous, Once stopped lift off all the cards at the separation and side jog them about two inches. The right hand grips this packet at the right long edge) thumb above and fingers below. Move both hands a few inches oparhs Raise the left hand upwards a few inches and make a reverse spread, the left fingers curling under its packet and then pushing sharply to the right, “You could have stopped on any of these.” As you do this the right hand makes a reverse spread too, the thumb pushing its packet into a reverse spread. Lower the left hand spread over the right hands spread a moment and take the top card of the right hands spread under the left hands spread and hold it upjogged under the end of the spread. Raise the right hands'spread upwards as you say “you could have stopped on any of these.":Lower the right hand and place it’s spread under ihe left-hands spread, leaving your force card protruding from the deck. Hada them remove the card and remember it. Have it returned and segue into your trick. BOTTOM CARD FORCE: This is almost the same as the top card force. The force card starts out ‘on the bottom. Execute the first part of the action as above, side jogging the upper portion. Take this packet at the right long edge, thumb above and fingers below. This time raise the right hand first and make a reverse spread, pushing sharply to the left with your right thumb. As you do this, 61REFLECTIONS make a reverse spread with the left hand packet, the left fingers pushing out to the right (exposed in photographs). Lower the right-hands spread cand take it below the left-hand spread. Upjog the lower card of the right- hands spread and bring the hands towards your helper and ask them to remove the protruding card. The secret to these forces is timing and hand coordination. Don't rush and you will have a force you can deceptively use to force either the top or bottom cardJOHN CAREY A PERFECT SIX! This effect has served me well. It’s interactive and strong and culminates in a perfect six-way prediction. What makes it strong is the fact that your spectator makes every single decision. It’s almost as if you don’t have to be in the room. | ike to present this as a small packet piece | remove from my wallet. You will need six different cards, a business card and a small envelope. Th¢ cards | use are: Ace of Clubs, Four of Hearts, Seven of Spades, Teniof Diamonds, King of Clubs and Three of Hearts. Have them set in that orde? from the face and pop them inside the envelope. Take the business cord ond on the blank side write the following I will have the Ace of Clubs You will have the Ten of Diamonds have the Four of Hearts You will have the King of Clubs I will have the Seven of Spades You will have the Three of Hearts Pop the business card inside the envelope and you are ready for business. Bring out the envelope and take out the six playing cards from inside, leaving the business card behind. Set the envelope aside. With the packet face down push off three cards and hand them to your spectator. Mix your three cards and ask them fo do likewise. Swap packets and both mix cards again and then hold your packet face down in your left hand, Extend your right hand and retrieve their cards and then mix the two packets 63REFLECTIONS by pushing off the top card of the left hand packet to the table, followed by the top card of the right hand packet which you deal on top. Next drop your remaining left-hands cards onto the tabled cards, followed by dropping the right-hands cards on top of all. Be very casual, in fact kind of sloppy as you execute the mix of cards. It sets you up for the start of the spectators decision making. “Bob, today you are going to make a series of choices or decisions, but not just for you but for me as welll” Deal the top card of the face down packet to your left and the next card to your right. Ask the spectator which card do they want? Once they've indicated push that card towards them and then drop the packet on top of the card they didn’t want. Deal the next two cards, one to your left and the other to your right as before. As you ask them which card do they want you to have you make a small displacement by pushing off two cards from your packet into your right hand and using them as a pointer to the two cards just dealt. Place them back underneath the left-hands single card and then slide the card your helper wants you to have towards you. Then drop your packet on top of the other card. Deal off two more cards as before and ask the spectator which card they want now? Push it towards them and drop the packet on top of the other card. Deal off two more cards and get them to indicate which of the two they want you to have? Slide fhe chosen card towards you and drop the card in your left hand on top of the other card. To finish the piece we will utilize a quite brilliant piece of Equivoque shown to me by my friend Shannon Clark. Deal the top card of the two cards you are holding to your right and then deal the other card to your left. “So, Bob, from a packet of cards that you shuffled you've made a series of choices, for you and for me. Two cards remain, Just imagine for a moment that you were me. IF you were me, which of those cards would you chose? That one? Perfect.” Get ready to smile now. If they point to the right hand card you pick it up and drop it on top of their two cards. However if they point to the left- hand card you pick that up and drop it on top of your cards as you say “perfect”. It’s beautifully ambiguous, just be fearless and casual. 64JOHN CAREY Ask your spectator to pick up their three cards and deal them face up to the table. You then do the same with yours. “What | never told you is that there's « message inside that envelope. Would you remove it please?” Ask your helper to read out loud the top line of the message which says they will have the Ace of Clubs. Comment on how they do indeed have that card. Pick it up and drop it into the middle of the table. Then have them read out the next line which says that you will have the Ten of Diamonds. Indeed you do and you pick that up and drop it into the middle of the table. Repeat the above for the remaining four cards, accelerating your delivery and culminating in a perfect Six way prediction! My inspirations here were Alex Elmsley’s Power of Poker and Dave Solomon and John Bannon’s Mexican Poker. 65REFLECTIONS FATE, CHANCE AND DESTINY I could have titled this ‘The Trick That Can Be Explained’. It has the same kind of feel as Dai Vernon's classic Trick That Cannot Be Explained but everything is under your control. What makes this strong ‘and so much fun to do is that the outcome is never the same, but you will always have a successful conclusion. You will need a deck of cards and aibusiness card. On the back of the business card write your prediction. | always use the Seven of Diamonds. Slip the business card, prediction side down under the cellophane of the card box and place the Seven of Diamonds on top of the deck and you are ready to rock'n'roll, Remove the deck and set the box aside as you deliver your opening monologue: “Sarah, | think you would agree that most things in life are down to chance, but sometimesithings happen that surpass chance and may very well be fate. But sometimes things go beyond chance, surpass fate and are simply destiny.” This opening monologue is interesting, but also may play an important role at the business end of the routine as you will see shortly. Turn the deck face up and spread it between the hands showing the different cards. Table the deck face down in front of your helper and cut just over half the deck to the right. Ask the spectator to riffle shuffle the deck. The bias in the right-hand section will cause the target card to either remain on top or be among the top few cards of the deck at the completion of the shuffle. As long as it’s among the top eight cards you are good. 66JOHN CAREY “Let's work with a group of cards from that deck you shuffled.” Push off four cards and drop them onto the table. Then push off four more and drop them on top. Discard the rest of the deck and turn the eight tabled cards face up and spread them. Now into the meat and bones of this routine. Believe it or not, we will have five chances for a little miracle. Let's break them down: 1. You say to your spectator “If | was to ask you to name one of those cards you might soy?” If they name the Seven of Diamonds have them remove it and proceed to the finale. 2. If they don't, no problem as you were just asking casually. Have them pick up the packet and shuffle it. Then have them turn the packet face up. If your target card is on the face you are golden. 3. If not simply ask them to cut the packet and complete the cut. If the target card is on the face bring the effect home. 4, Have them turn the packet face down and deal the top card face up:te the table. If the card gods are on your side and it’s your target card segue to the finale and show your prediction. 5. Ifthe first card they deal face up isn’t the target card, no problem. Have them cut the packet and complete the cut. Next have them deal the restof the cards in a face up left to right row. If after seven cards have been dealt face up and the target card hasn't shown, stop them. Comment on how nobody could possibly have known what the lost card standing would be. Have them turn that last card face up in their hands to reveal your target card. Then reveal your prediction. Everything above is perfectly natural and motivated. But what happens if you don’t get one of those five possible hits? The answer is extremely simple and subtle. You call attention to how you talked about chance, fate and destiny at the beginning. Depending on where our target card lies in the face up row of eight cards, we will spell fo it. Let’s break that down: 67REFLECTIONS 1, If our target card is third from the left or right of the row, we will comment on chance, how they shuffled the deck and did everything. Then we will spell from either the left-end or the right-end of the row of cards, touching cards one at a time and spelling out loud to our target. Remove it, build the moment up and reveal your prediction. 2. If our target card ends up fourth from the left or right we do a callback to when we mentioned fate. Then spell fo our target from the appropriate end of the row. 3. The final variable is when the target card ends up second from either the left or right end of the tabled row of face-up cards. When this happens we callback to the beginning and mention that some things in life go beyond mere chance, surpass fate and are simply destiny. Then spell destiny one card for each letter from the appropriate end to land on our target. In all scenarios you state that-e6rlier that doy you wrote @ message on a business card. Draw attention to the card box and remove the business card from under the cellophane. Turn it over and display and your work is done... You would think there’s a lot to remember, when in fact all the steps are really quite self intuitive. Just runthrough a few practice drills and you will have this down in no time atiall. | am proud of this routine and it’s served me really well. | wish you every success with it.JOHN CAREY THOUGHT INDICATION This piece was directly inspired by Alex Elmsley’s Fan Prediction from his collected works books. Not being able fo pressure fan a deck properly got me thinking. You will need a deck of cards, a pen and a business card. Bring out the props and have the deck shuffled and upon return spread through the deck and remove the two jokers, using this time honored ruse to remember just the value of the top card of the deck. Let’s say it’s a seven. Turn the deck face-down and mention that this trick usedGo be done with a knife, but thése days you use a card to act like a knifgs Casually deal off the top card of the deck face down to the table. “im going to think of a card and because I've got such a bad memory will write that card down on my businéss card.” Spread the deck with the faces towards you and take out any card, say Jack of Spades and tabléit face down a moment. Pick up the pen and business card and write thet card down on it sight unseen and table it writing-side down. “I'm goig to lose my card, but | don’t want you to see exactly where it goes.” Pick up your card in the right hand and the deck in the left. Take both hands behind your back-and insert the card seventh from top and a moment later bring both hands back out, holding the deck in the left hand. “So Lam just thinking of a card and you are going to try and find it. Just be confident as I think you can do this!” Start spreading the deck in the hands and ask your helper to say stop. When they do you take all the cards at the stopped at point into your palm up right hand, We will now execute the pick up prophecy move, taught earlier in this volume. The right hand turns palm down and goes to the table to pick up the tabled card. Turn it face up on top of the right-hands cards as this hand turns palm-up with the now face-up seven spot pinned to it. Bring both hands together and place the left hands cards on top, leaving the knife card protruding face 69REFLECTIONS up from the deck. Ask your helper to turn over the business card and read out Jack of Spades. Comment on how they inserted the knife card where they wanted. Spread through the deck and table all the cards above the face up seven spot. “Maybe this card is telling us something? | will count seven cards from it.” Deal off the face up card and table it. Then count sevem cards out loud to. the table. Pause a beat and then dramatically turn over the last card dealt to reveal your thought of card. 70JOHN CAREY THE HOPSCOTCH CONTROL The Hopscotch Control is a fun and deceptive control of a card. Hove a card selected and then returned to the deck, securing a pinky break above it. Pause a beat and then cut about half the cards above. thé break and fable them to your left. Next cut off at your break and table thei packet about 12 inches to the right of the first packet. Continue by cutting off about half your remaining cards and tabling them to the right of fhe left end packet in the gap. Finally table the remaining packet to the right of that packet, forming a:row of four packets. Imagine the packets numbered one to four from left to right. Pick Jp packet one from above and drop it on top of packet three. Then pick up packet two and drop it on top of packet four. To finish riffle shuffle the two combined packets together, allowing the top card of the right hand section to drop last. Square up and your selection is now on top. Performed ata nice brisk pace this is a nice, deceptive control.JOHN CAREY OPEN AS USUAL In magic we truly are all standing on the shoulders of giants. The works of Vernon and Marlo for example left a legacy that continues to inspire today. That is why books of the masters are so important to study. The following piece is a hybrid of two plots, the open prediction and the card at any number. My inspirations were Barrie Richardson's Impromptu Card At Any Number and a very sneaky card force of Jan Racherbaumer’s from his ebook Big Easy Card Cunning, Have the deck shuffled and upon return ribbon spread it face up acrés3 the table. Remove the Jokers and discard them, at the same time covertly remembering the card fifth from top. Let's say it’s the Jack of Clubs) Square up the face up deck as you bring up the subject of predictions, “Some magicians write predictions on pieces of paper and some seal them inside an.envelope. Some even go as far as locking the prediction inside a box! But today, | will make'an open prediction of a card. Let me see, the Jack of Clubs. Please do not forget that card. Jack, | want you to imagine you are at the Casino and sitting at the Roulette table. THe croupier spins the wheel of fortune and throws the white ball in. Now there's thirty six numbers on that wheel, Jack. Imagine it landing on qi @ high number. In your imagination it lands on? Ok twenty seven itis. Let's deal the cards you shuffled to your thought of number.” The above is an interesting presentational introduction to getting a number. As soon as they call their number, subtract five from it. In our example that would mean our target number is now twenty two. Pick up the face up deck and hold in left hand dealing grip. Start dealing and counting the cards quite briskly into a face up packet. When you get to twenty two, you pause a moment. “Let’s spread those so you can clearly see every card. Do you see my open prediction?” This is where the Racherbaumer ploy comes into play. As you say the 73REFLECTIONS above your right hand goes down to the face up packet and ribbon spreads it from left to right. The left hand which is momentarily covered by the right hand going to the table simply turns at the wrist and tables, it’s cards face down. After getting confirmation that they cannot see your open prediction, you will slyly (and with no guilt!) continue the count from the tabled face down packet, turning each card face up and dropping it onto the face up spread, Take the card at their number and drop it face down in front of the spread. Then pick up the remaining cards, turn them face up and spread those face up onto the table. “So Jack, at the beginning | made an open prediction. You shuffled the deck and you thought of a number, Sometimes things happen in life that can simply be chance. But sometimes things go beyond chance and just cannot be explained. What was my open prediction? Turn that face down card over. Impossiblel!!” Go to the bar and order a nice cold beer. 14JOHN CAREY THE 3456 FORCE You can never have enough tools for card work. The 3456 force is a bold, cheeky, but deceptive force where o casual and liberated attitude carries the day. Begin with your force card on top. Execute a jog shuffle, undercutting half the deck, in-jogging a card and then shuffling off. Secure a pinky break under the jogged card as you square the deck’ “Jack, I'm going to throw packets of cards to the table. Shall | throw three; four, five, or six?” Whatever number they call, the action will be the same. Let's say that they say five packets. Push off a small packet into the right hand and casually toss it face'down to the table. Do not be neat with thi Repeat this pushing off another packet and toss it on top of the tabled packet. Now simply repeat this twice more, pushing off at your break on, the count of four and then pushing off and dropping off another packét on the count of five and dropping this on top of the tabled cards. The top card of the tabled cards is your force card. Have the spectator peek at this card and finally throw your remaining cards on top. Have them shuffld and segue into your routine: 715REFLECTIONS MY MIND AND YOURS My Mind And Yours is a simple, but powerful mind reading routine that you can perform anytime you have a good amount of pocket change on you. | will describe this with British currency, but obviously it’s ‘easy enough to substitute your own currency in if you're overseas. Bring out six different coins, or even borrow them if that opportunity presents itself, Toss the coins onto the table and arrange them into two rows, with a space of about a foot in between the rows. “Let's now try and tap into your thoughts. Some people call this telepathy, others say it’s mind reading, and some say it simply can’t be done. “Justin, | want you to simply think of one of these coins. But don’t do it until my back is turned, Have you thought of one yet? That's great, please point to it so that everyone here can be involved. Tell me when that’s done and | will turn back.” Let's just soy they are thinking of the 10 pence coin and it resides in the left row. “I'm just going to take a few seconds now to focus and try and tune into your thought. Visualize thé coin you are thinking of for me. Look at me and then look at this'row. Ok look at me again and look at this other row.” As | say the above and interact with my helper | cost my hand cover each row to build up some tension. Now I will segue into a classic Mentalism ruse, I'm unable to give accurate credit for. It’s a simple, but beautiful verbal ambiguity that's all about being casual and relaxed. "Be honest, Justin. The coin you're thinking of isn’t in this row, is it?” As | say this | look at my spectator and then divert my gaze to the three coins in the left hand row. If he says yes you reply: “I thought so.” Then simply push the other three coins aside with your right hand. However, if he reply’s no your retort is: “That's right, | didn’t think so.” In that scenario you would push aside the left hand row of coins. “So it appears I’m tuning into your thoughts quite well, but there's still 76JOHN CAREY work to be done. | will close and cover my eyes. Will you now mix the three coins that remain around a few times in a random fashion please?” So before they mix the coins you close your eyes and then cover them with your left hand. Have them mix the three coins around a few times. We will now use the age old Gypsy peek to get our all important information. Secretly open your left eye under the cover of your hand. Ask your helper to swap the positions of the two coins they are not thinking of. This of course tells you the coin they are thinking of, Close your left eye before removing your left hand and then open both eyes. “So we started off with six coins and are now down to three. Let's mentally. eliminate down to just two coins. Sometimes the inflections in the voice can help in tuning into « thought. | will ask you three times if each coinis, yours. You must simply say yes each time ok?” Once you've done that cast your hand in mysterious fashion over the coins a few seconds and then pick up and discard one of the x coins. “So we are down to two coins new) | will ask you to take both coins and both hands behind your back and *ix them around. Then I'd like you to bring both hands back around in fisis one coin in each hand. Once your helper has done this we will use « two step revelation to bring the piece home. “Justin, | want you now to simply call out the name of yur coin mentally over and over again. Like 10 pence, 10 pence, 10 pence yes?!” Allow them fo'confirm you are correct and pause a beat. To finish the effect we will use the brilliant ruse of Max Maven from 6i3 wonderful Kurotsuke routine. “All | have to do now is mentally eliminate to your coin. | will count to three and give a command.” So you count to three and ask them to open their left hand. If it’s the 10 pence you pick it up and hold it high and take your applause. If it isn't though you simply pick up the coin in their hand and hold it up and say: “Eliminating the coin you didn’t think of and leaving the one you did in your other hand. Please ‘open it." Attitude and confidence is paramount with this gambit. A calm, friendly demeanor is essential with this routine. You do not want to create a challenge atmosphere. | perform this after a few other effects, 11REFLECTIONS where I've established a nice rapport with the people. If you think about it there's four sirong moments in this effect. Don't rush the phases and you have something you can use practically anywhere, 78JOHN CAREY TRIPLEX Triplex is my version of a classic Larry Jennings routine Synchronicity. I've always loved the triple matching cards premise and | believe you will enjoy the economy of motion in the following handling. Set the deck from the top down in the following order: Two of Clubs, Two of Spades, Seven of Diamonds, Seven of Hearts, King of Spades, three indifferent cards, and then the King of Clubs. Naturally this is an opening effect. Execute any deceptive false shuffle retaining your set up. “Let's try an experiment together in synchronicity,(o? if you like, compatibility.” Turn the top card face up showing the Two,ot Clubs. At the same time secure a pinky break beneath its mate underneath) Take both cards below the break as one from above with the thumb of the inner short end and the second finger at the outer short end. Extend the left hand with the deck towards your helper and ask them to cut off a fairly large packet. We will now execute a lovely David Williamson move. Bring the back to back double card 6ver the left-hands packet and allow fhe outer short end of this pair to snap off the second finger and against {Ke packet. Immediately split the pair by pushing forward with the thumb and backwards with the second finger. The illusion of taking a card is a prety one. Drop this back to back pair of cards to your left on the table. Have the spectator drop their packet on top of yours. “Let's do this again, but in a completely different way.” | now execute 79