LOOK, MA! NO CARDS!

10 non-card effects from the pages of Cameron's 2013

Column in the British IBM magazine The Budget

CONTENTS

Hold On 3

The Signed Coin 6

Humming Words 10

The Unfolding 13

Copper, Silver, Ring 15

Who's Laughing Now 19

Shades of Silver 22

COAT 26

Where Eagles Dare 28

Compact Sharpie 30

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 THE SIGNED COIN
Liam Montier sent me an effect a while ago called Handful. It was reminiscent of
Bro. John Hamman's The Signed Card concept, except it was coin trick. I
thought the idea was fantastic and started playing around with variations. What I
eventually came up with is quite simple but a real stunner.

Effect:

The magician displays a small matchbox and says, “I'm going to show you
something a bit odd. It's a matchbox with a quarter and a single match inside of
it.” The magician slides open the matchbox. Inside is a quarter with a question
mark on its face and a single match. “We'll just place this aside for now.” The
open box is placed on a table (or on a spectator's hand).

A spectator is asked to remove his pocket change. The magician takes a quarter
from the spectator's pile of change and has another spectator initial the quarter.
The initialed coin is placed back into the pile and the spectator gives it a few
shakes. When he opens his hands and goes through the change, the signed
coin has vanished! The magician then picks up the matchbox and dumps out the
question mark quarter and the match. He uses the match to fairly turn the coin
over. On the other side are the spectator's initials!

Preparation:

You need:

 A matchbox
 A single match
 Two quarters
 A marker
 A tube of Crazy Glue

Using the marker, draw a question mark on the face of a few quarters. Place all
of them aside except one. Glue the tails side of this quarter inside the tray of the
matchbox so that it butts up against the short end and one of the long edges

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 HUMMING WORDS
This is a word divination using the classic Hummer CATO Principle.

Effect:

The magician introduces a packet of business cards with different letters drawn
on the back of each. The magician mixes the cards face up and face down, then
turns his back and instructs the spectator to mix the cards as well. The spectator
then removes all of the letter side up cards and is instructed to form a word with
as many of them as possible. The magician divines the word... and an extra
letter that couldn't be used!

Preparation:

Grab 12 business cards and draw the following letters on the backs of each: P,
A, I, N, T, S, Z. Give these cards a mix. Place them letter side down, business
side up, on the table. Then draw G, R, O, W, X on the backs of the rest and give
them a mix. Cut the X to the face of the packet, turn it business side up and then
drop them on top of the first seven cards.

During the effect you are going to instruct the spectator to spell a word with as
many letters as possible with whatever letters they have. Thanks to the Hummer
Principle, the only two words the spectator will be able to spell are GROW or
PAINTS. In each case, there will be one odd letter out, either an X or a Z.

Performance:

Bring out the packet and turn it letter side up. Spread through the cards showing
that they consist of different letters.

“We're going to do an experiment with letters and words. I've got a small packet
of business cards here with letters drawn on the backs of them. As you can see,
its not the whole alphabet, only about half. But even using a few letters, we can
still create hundreds of words. Let's give the cards a little mix.”

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Spread through again and take all of the cards above the X card in your right
hand. Turn them face down on top of the cards in your left hand. Give the packet
a cut and an overhand shuffle.

You will now use the Takagi Count (normally used in Wild Card routines) as a
mix. Deal the top card to the table. Flip the packet over and deal the next card
on top of the first. Flip the packet over and deal the next card on top of the other
two. Repeat this until the cards have been dealt into a pile on the table.

Now comes the Bob Hummer CATO procedure. Say, “Okay, now so there's no
way I can see the cards, I'm going to turn my back and I won't turn around again
for the rest of this experiment. What I want you to do now is to deal the cards
into two alternating piles as if you were dealing two hands of poker... Now, pick
up either pile, it doesn't matter which one, flip it over and then drop it on top of
the other pile... Got it? Good. Now, when you spread the packet, there will be
some cards face up and some face down. Start dealing the cards into two piles:
all of the face up letter cards go into one pile, all of the face down cards go into
another pile. Got it?... Now gather up the face down cards and hand them to
me.”

Once she has handed you the face down packet, glimpse the bottom card
before dropping it into your pocket. If the letter you glimpse is a P, A, I, N, T, S
or Z, you know that the word she will spell will be GROW and the X will be the
extra letter. If the letter you glimpse is a G,R, O, W or X, you know that the word
she will spell will be PAINTS and the Z will be the extra letter. Let's say in this
case, you glimpse the W on the bottom of the packet. This means that the word
she will create is PAINTS and Z will be the odd letter.

You can now reveal the word however you wish. Here's an example of how I do
it:

“Now look at your letters. What I want you to do is to spell a word with those
letters, using as many of them as possible. I don't know how many cards you
have so the word could be a short one or it could be a long one. There might
also be one or two letters you can't use in the word, so if that's the case, just
leave whatever letters don't work aside... Have you done that?... Good... Just
concentrate on the letters... I'm definitely seeing a brush. But the word isn't
brush. It's something you apply with a brush. Paint? No... multiple colors. Paints.
The word is paints, yes? But wait, there's one letter you didn't use. It's one that

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falls toward the end of the alphabet. Actually, it's the last letter of the alphabet.
Z!”

Remove the cards from your pocket and cut the X to the face of the packet.
Gather up the spectator's cards and drop them on top of the cards in your hand.
You are now reset.

Alternate Version:

Grab a double blank card and draw a large X on one side and a Z on the other.
Drop the double blank and the business cards into an envelope.

When you are ready to perform the effect, remove the business cards from the
envelope but leave the double blank in there. Claim that you made a prediction.

After you have divined the word, say, “Now remember, I said I made a
prediction. Well, I didn't predict the word. But I didn't have a feeling that you
would only have one letter left over and that the letter would be...”

Open the envelope and peer inside. Depending on whether the extra letter is the
X or the Z, slide out the double blank card, correct letter side up, to reveal your
prediction.

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 THE UNFOLDING
The core effect here is nothing new. However, the presentation, I feel, is pretty
novel. It's definitely an effect that if you try it once, you'll want to do it all the time.

Effect:

A spectator writes his initials on the back of a business card. The card is folded
up into quarters and placed on the spectator's hand. The magician draws a
magic wand on the back of another business card and claims he will use the
wand to make the spectator's card vanish. The wand card is waved over the
spectator's hand. Nothing seems to happen. When the spectator unfolds the
business card, he discovers that he has the drawing of the wand. The magician
turns over his card. The spectator's initials are on the back!

Preparation:

You need a stack of business cards and a marker.

Draw a magic wand on the back of a business card. This is a one time prep as
the trick instantly resets every time you perform it. Place this card, drawing side
down, on top of your stack of business cards and you are ready to go.

Performance:

Remove the stack of business cards and your marker.

Perform a double turnover and have the spectator sign or initial the back of the
card. Turn the double over and remove the top card (this is actually the wand
card). Fold the card into quarters and place it on the spectator's hand. Have her
clench the card in her fist.

Do another double turnover. Draw a wand on the back of this card. Turn the
double over and remove the top card (this is actually the signed card).

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Say, “I'm going to use this wand to make your card to disappear.”

Wave the wand card over the spectator's fist. Ask her if she felt anything
happen. She should say no. Wave again. Then have her open her hand and
unfold the card to reveal she has the wand card.

Slowly turn your card over to reveal her initials on the other side.

ALTERNATE HANDLING

After step 2, take a business card from the bottom of the packet and place it,
back side up, on top of the packet. Position check: You have a face down card
(printing side down) on top of the packet followed by a face up card with the
spectator's initials drawn on the back.

Draw a wand on the card. Keeping the wand face up, wave the card over the
spectator's fist. Get a break under the top card of the packet as you do this.

As the spectator opens his fist and starts to unfold the card, place the wand card
on top of the packet and perform a Harry Lorayne Illogical Double (similar to the
Kadyro/Marlo Move) to switch out the face down wand card for the face up card
with the spectator's initials on the back. After the spectator opens his card,
reveal the initials on the back of the card in your hand.

Notes:

At the end of the effect, you have a magic wand drawn on the back of the top
card of your stack so you are instantly set to do the effect again.

Although this effect could be done with playing cards, it would require a lot of
duplicates for multiple performances. Therefore, it is a much more practical
business card effect.

Sometimes, after I fold up the card and place it in the spectator's hand, I pat
down my pockets and say, “Now, I need my wand. I'm not sure where it is...
Well, maybe I can draw one instead...” I then proceed to draw the wand on the
card. This gives the trick a bit more of an impromptu feel.

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 COPPER, SILVER, RING
This routine came about after playing with a few ring to impossible location
ideas. It's very easy to do but packs a huge wallop. Just look at the expression
on your spectator's face when you open your hand to reveal the ring and you'll
see.

Although not directly inspired by it, my friend Dave Forrest has a very cool ring
and coin transpo which also uses a card case called “Brunch At Tiffanies” from
his terrific booklet, “Fandango”. If you haven't read either of his Fandango
booklets, you are really missing out! They are chock full of great material. They
are available as hard copy booklets or PDFs at www.full52.com.

Effect:

The magician borrows a finger ring and places it inside of a card case. He then
produces a copper coin and a silver coin and proceeds to perform a stunning
series of transpositions with them. He finally places the coins in the spectator's
hands and removes the silver coin. When the spectator opens his hand, he is
now holding the silver coin. And the magician is holding... the spectator's ring!
The copper coin is found inside the card case and everything may be examined.

Preparation:

You need:

 One half dollar

 One English penny
 One Copper/Silver Coin
 A card case

Put the C/S coin and the half dollar in your right pocket. The English penny goes
in your left pocket. Have the card case somewhere on your person. You are set
to perform.

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Phase 1

Place the empty card case on the table as you say, “You know, I've found that
sometimes magic can be more powerful when you use objects that you have a
strong connection with. I'd like to borrow something personal from one of you.
Perhaps a ring. Does anyone have a ring I can borrow? I promise that no harm
will come to it.”

As you say the above, casually place your hands in your pockets. Finger palm
the English penny in your left hand.

Remove your hands from your pocket and take the ring from the spectator with
your right hand. Perform a false transfer in your left hand, keeping the ring in
right hand finger palm.

Pick up the card case with your right hand and drop the English penny into the
card case. The spectators should think this is the ring. Close up the card case
and place it on the table.

Reach into your right pocket, deposit the ring, and remove the C/S coin and the
half dollar, saying, “Now I have two very personal objects which I carry with me
at all times. They are two old coins that my grandfather gave to me; a copper
coin and a silver coin. They're really not worth much, monetarily speaking. But
soon after acquiring them, I discovered that they have some very unique
powers...”

Display the copper/silver coin, copper side up, and the half dollar. Place the
copper/silver coin on your left palm and place the half dollar on top of it. Close
your left hand into a loose fist and turn it palm down.

With your right first finger and thumb, reach into your left fist through the thumb
hole and remove the top coin. This is the copper/silver coin and it will be silver
side up. Position the coin so that it rests on the tips of your right fingers.

Close your right hand into a fist and turn it palm up. Give both fists a shake.
Open your right hand to show the copper coin on your palm. Open the left hand
to show the silver coin.

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Phase 2

Say you'll do it again, but this time under more stringent conditions. Turn your
right hand palm down over your open left hand, allowing the C/S coin to drop
onto your left palm, silver side up. As soon as the coin lands on your palm,
immediately close your left fingers around it so the spectators cannot see the
coin.

Lightly shake your left fist, allowing the coins to rattle. Open your left fingers just
enough to allow your right fingers to reach into your left fist and grab the C/S
coin which is now silver side up. Position the C/S coin, still silver side up, so that
it rests on the open fingers of your right hand. Press down on the coin with your
right thumb and turn your hand palm down. Slip your right hand into your right
pocket.

While your hand is in your pocket, work the ring into finger palm.

Give your left hand a shake. Open it to reveal the silver coin. Bring your right
hand out of your pocket to display the copper side of the C/S coin. The ring is
still in right hand finger palm.

Phase 3

Ask the spectator to hold out her hand. Place the C/S coin on her palm, then
place the half dollar on top of it. Ask her to close her hand into a fist and then
have her turn her hand palm down.

With your right first finger and thumb, reach into her thumb hole and remove the
top coin. This is, of course, the C/S coin and it is silver side up.

Perform a Bobo Switch as you apparently toss the half dollar into your left hand.
You actually retain the C/S coin in your right hand as you toss the ring into your
left hand.

Lightly tap your left fist against the spectator's fist. Have her open her hand to
reveal the silver coin.

Say, “So if you have the silver coin, that means that I must have...” Open your

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hand to reveal the ring as you say, “The ring!”

Say, “I won't even touch the card case. Go ahead and open it.” As you say this,
step back, place your hands in your pockets and ditch the C/S coin. She opens
the card case and discovers the English penny inside. Everything may now be
examined.

Reset:

Put the copper coin in your left pocket and the half dollar in your right pocket
and you are reset.

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 WHO'S LAUGHING NOW?
This is a really fun effect where what appears to be a simple gag turns out to be
part of a prediction.

Effect:

The magician reaches into his pocket and removes six envelopes, six receipts
and a coin purse. He places one envelope aside which has PREDICTION
written on it. “I am so confident that my prediction will be correct, I'm willing to
wager money on it!” He picks up the coin purse and shakes it. Pocket change is
heard jingling inside.

He hands the receipts to the spectator who verifies that they are all from
different stores. The five receipts a placed into the other five envelopes. The
spectator mixes the envelopes and then deals them into a row on the table. She
then chooses one. The magician asks her to open it and remove the receipt. He
asks which store it is from. She says CVS. He then opens the PREDICTION
envelope and slides out a plastic discount card from CVS! There is nothing else
inside the envelope.

“Let me ask you this, I paid cash at CVS, yes? How much change was I given?”
The spectator says 62 cents. The magician opens up the coin purse and dumps
out the change. It is exactly 62 cents!

Preparation:

You need to purchase something from a store for which you have a discount
card. In this case, we'll stick with CVS (American drug store). Make sure you
pay in cash and that you receive some kind of change. Let's say the change you
received was 62 cents.

You also need four other receipts from four other stores, six pay envelopes, a
coin purse and 62 cents in coins.

Put the change in the coin purse. With a permanent marker, write PREDICTION

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on one of the envelopes. Slip the discount card into this envelope. Mark one of
the other envelopes with a light pencil dot or nick it.

Performance:

Remove the pay envelopes and receipts from your pockets saying, “I've got a
few receipts in here from various stores. I also have a prediction in this envelope
which I'm going to leave in there for now.” Place the PREDICTION envelope on
the table.

“In fact, I'm so confident that my prediction will be correct that I'm willing to
wager money on it.”

Remove the coin purse from your pocket, give it a shake and place it on the
table. “Okay, so maybe I'm not that confident.”

Tell the spectator to look at the receipts and to verify they are from different
stores for different amounts.

Once she has looked them over, take them from her and put one in each
envelope. Be sure to place the CVS receipt into the marked envelope. Hand the
envelopes to the spectator and ask her to mix them up. This done, tell her to
place them on the table in a row.

Say, “Now, we're going to eliminate the receipts one by one until there is only
one left and we're going to do it in the fairest way possible.”

You will now perform Roy Baker's brilliant PATEO force.

Point to any two envelopes except the CVS receipt and ask the spectator to
slide one of the two envelopes out of the way.

Now have the spectator point to any two envelopes and you slide one out of the
way. If one of the envelopes she points to contains the CVS receipt, slide the
other envelope out of the way.

There are three envelopes left. Point to the two non-CVS envelopes and have
the spectator slide one out of the way.

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Two envelopes left. Slide the indifferent envelope out of the way leaving the
CVS envelope.

“Okay, so there's one envelope left. Please remove the receipt from it. Which
store is it from?” Once the spectator has done this, slide the card out of the
envelope to reveal you predicted CVS.

After they've had a chance to react, ask, “I think I paid in cash at CVS. What
was my change?” She will say 62 cents. Draw attention back to the coin purse.
Open it and dump the 62 cents onto the table.

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 SHADES OF SILVER
A four coin variation of David Roth's “Chink-A-Chink”, also inspired by Daniel
Garcia's “Shade” and Dan Fleshman's “Matrix” routine. What I like about this
version is that it's very clean. All the coins travel to one corner and there is no
crossing of the hands.

Effect:

A four coin Shadow coins routine with a backfire ending.

Preparation:

You need four half dollars or quarters to perform this effect and a soft surface.

Performance:

I strongly urge you to perform a standard Matrix routine

with coins and cards before going into this effect. After
you have performed it, say, “I can do it again. This time
with no cards.”

Place the cards aside and lay out the four coins in the
classic square formation. We'll refer to the positions as:
UL = Upper Left Corner, UR = Upper Right Corner, LR
= Lower Right Corner, LL = Lower Left Corner (Fig.1).

Fig. 1
FIRST COIN

You will cover the UL coin with your right hand and the LL coin with your left
hand. But as your right hand moves to cover the UL coin, you will take the LR
coin along for the ride. This is done by placing your right thumb pad on the LR
coin. Your right hand then slides diagonally across the mat toward the UL coin.
Keep your hand just off the mat as you move it; the thumb pad being the only

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 WHERE EAGLES DARE
This very clean signed coin to impossible location originally appeared on Dave
Forrest's and my DVD, Attack of the Copper/Silver Coin, produced by Full52
productions.

Effect:

The spectator signs a small round sticker. The magician signs another. Both
stickers are stuck on either side of an American half dollar. Two English Pennies
are produced and the half dollar is placed between them. The coins are shaken
and when the magician opens his hand, the signed coin has vanished from
between the two copper coins.

With a totally empty hand, the magician reaches into his pocket and produces
the signed coin! Or the spectator can reach in and grab it.

Preparation:

You need: One Copper/Silver coin: American half dollar on one side, English
Penny on the other (this gaff is not only very common but it's also the cheapest
coin gaff known to man!). You also need one American half dollar, two English
Pennies, and a sheet of small round stickers, about ¾ inch in diameter.

Using a Sharpie, write your initials on one of the stickers and stick it on the half
dollar side of your Copper/Silver coin.

Put the Copper/Silver gaff into your left pocket and the other three coins in your
right pocket. Have the sheet of stickers and a Sharpie on your person and you
ate ready to go.

Performance:

Reach into your pocket and pull out the American half dollar. Produce the sheet
of stickers and initial one of them. Hand the marker to a spectator and ask her to

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initial another.

As she is initialing the sticker, casually slip your hands into your pockets and
finger palm the Copper/Silver coin. Remove your hands and glance down at the
coin. It needs to be resting on your left fingers, silver side up. If it isn't, adjust it
so that it is. You have all the misdirection in the world so don't sweat it.

Once the spectator has signed the coin, pick it up with your right hand and
position it to be palmed in your right hand, spectator's initials side up.

Meanwhile, your left hand should be hanging casually at your side. Allow the
coin to fall from finger palm to your second and third finger tips.

Perform a Jay Sankey Flying Shuttle Pass (taught on many of his videos) to
false transfer the coin from the right hand to the left. It should look as if you
casually toss the coin into you left hand.

The Copper/Silver coin is silver side up on your left palm and has a sticker with
your initials on it so everything looks very fair.

Reach your right hand into your right pocket, ditch the signed coin and pull out
the two copper coins. You are now so far ahead it isn't even funny.

Allow the spectators to examine the two copper coins.

Take the coins back and sandwich the silver side up Copper/Silver coin between
the two copper coins. Fan the coins at your right finger tips so that the
spectators can clearly see the situation and then square up the coins.

Now, you will apparently place the three coin sandwich into your left hand. What
you actually do is this:

With your right fingers on top of the coins and your right thumb under them,
place the coins onto the base of your left second and third fingers. As you place
the coins onto your hand, your right thumb, slides the bottom copper coin back
into your right hand and into finger palm. So you are only placing two coins onto
your left hand.

With your right first finger and thumb, remove the top copper coin in your left
hand to show the silver coin under it. Place the coin back on top.

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Now close your left hand and give it a shake.

Open up your left hand, allowing the two coins to fall onto your left palm. The
automatically reverses the Copper/Silver coin so that the copper side is now
showing. It looks like you have two copper coins in your left hand and nothing
else.

Position the Copper/Silver coin into finger palm. Now apparently toss both coins
into your right hand. In reality, you hold back the Copper/Silver coin in finger
palm as you toss the normal copper coin into your right hand, allowing it to clink
against the copper coin already there. Drop both coins on the table.

Show your right hand unmistakably empty, reach into your right pocket and
produce the signed coin. Or, better yet, have the spectator reach into your
pocket and pull it out.

Ditch the finger palmed Copper/Silver coin in your left pocket as the spectators
examine the other coins. Remove the stickers from the coins and you are
completely reset.

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Now raise your hands and bring them down quickly. As you do, your left first
finger pulls the Compact Sharpie up so that it's hidden behind your fingers. At
the same time, your right third finger pushes down on the full sized Sharpie so
that it hangs down, pointing toward the floor (Fig. 5). From the front, it looks like
the barrel just pops into view. This moment is visually stunning.

Keeping the Compact Sharpie hidden in your curled fingers, take the fulled sized
Sharpie with your left hand, remove the cap, stick it onto the back of the marker
and hand it to a spectator. Ditch the Compact Sharpie in your left pocket as the
spectator signs the card or bill or whatever you are having her sign.

cameron@cameronfrancismagic.com
www.cameronfrancismagic.com

© Cameron Francis Magic 2014

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