Gerard Zitta

Effect: A spectator looks at a card in a borrowed shuffled deck. You eliminate cards and the last card is their selection.

Key points:

• 100% impromptu and improvised.
• Any borrowed deck with any number of cards
• Hands off
• The cards are shuffled many times during the routine
• No accomplice, no gimmick, no setup, no dual reality, no sleight of hands, no fishing, 100% surefire.
• OK for stand-up, walk-around, parlor and why not stage.
• You do not have to touch or see anything
• You just need to know a couple of devious principles (some are new).
• Baffling and cannot be reverse-engineered due...

Just a gag! But with all those which hand tricks, it's a change. It can be an opener or a closer to a more serious which hand routine, or in case somebody asks you to redo a which hand trick, or if somebody is giving you a hard time with methods that are not 100% safe.

Effect:

You ask a spectator to put a small ball in any hand while your back is turned, and then, to put their hands on each side of your head, behind your back. You will guess in which hand they hold the ball.

• Very direct
• No question asked
• You see nothing, You can be blind-folded
• 100% hands off
• No accomplice
• You...

A 100% improvised and hands-off original routine with business cards.

Diabolik:
Effect: Two spectators (one liar and one truth-teller) draw two different objects (or names, words, etc.) on a business card. They swap their cards and pens as much as they want (or they are shuffled by a third spectator), and hide them between their hands or in their pockets. It is impossible (really) for you, to know which spectator has which drawing, which pen they used, who lies and who tells the truth, etc. You really know nothing. And yet, with only one question, innocent and justified, to only one spectator,...

"Hidden": A secret hidden in most decks of cards. You already have it. It can be used for magic or mentalism effects as it will add something "bizarre" or intriguing to your card tricks. Or as a double kicker. YOu will use it in your existing routines or invent new ones. Guaranteed. A typical example is "The Fine Print" by Jay Sankey. The difference is that you can do it impromptu, without buying a gimmick, and with some touch of mentalism.

"You remove a playing card from a deck of cards and leave it face down on the table as a prediction. A spectator then selects a card from the deck, but...

This ebook is an exploration of a clever principle rarely used by mentalists or magicians, and probably known by just a few. It can use four to a dozen of flat objects (that can be borrowed): cards, jumbo cards, business cards, index cards, coasters, postcards, banknotes, photographs, billets, lottery tickets, coupons, poker chips, etc.

Effect (Example)

You can have your back turned:

You show a number of postcards, for instance, with different cities or countries. The spectator mixes them and puts the one she prefers, on the table. Then, she is instructed to put the other ones on top...

This effect is a variant of the Card at Any Number plot, but with a full routine and a very commercial and entertaining presentation, with gags, a prediction, or divination, with a puzzling final surprise revelation, and more potential. It can be adapted for any events like Christmas, New Year, Thanksgiving, Halloween, weddings, carnival, birthdays, conventions, etc.

It needs a one-time preparation that you can keep in your wallet or jacket, and can be used as an opener or a closer, for strolling, close up, parlor or stage.

1st edition 2017, 15 pages.

Do you think people really care if you find a coin is heads, or in their left hand?? They rather are impressed if you guess their secrets or if they lie.

Intro/Basic effect: You meet a complete stranger. They think of somebody, or something, or a place you can not possibly know. Anything. And then, they think of a secret, a statement about this person, this object or this place that is either true or false. You (or the audience) will then ask only one question, not related to the statement, and will know instantly if the statement is true or not.

Heads or Tails: You find out if they lie...

"Zitta has done it again. He has completed a new work that is outstanding, practical, and mostly Impromptu. I don't know how he does it, ideas, brilliant ones, flow like water. Get this. And if you don't have them, get all his work. They bring me and the audience wonderment, joy, and workable thoughts. 5 out of 5" - Marc Salem

Some nice easy effects based on a rather recent force that is already widely known among mentalists. Some new ideas, some old ones probably, but most importantly, some new ideas for predictions and presentations, that make sense (and can be used for other forces).

CONTENTS

• The FULL FORCE and HALF FORCE
• Properties
• Effects:
  • "Elephant": A spectator as mind reader plot.
  • "Influencing images": An influence plot.
  • "1 Chance in 1000": A prediction plot.
  • "Confabulation": A confabulation plot "à la Schroedinger".
  • "1 Chance in thousands": Another prediction plot.
  • "Unlock my phone, please!":...

An improvised book-test with a borrowed newspaper.

There are dozens of newspaper tests or predictions, but this one is different, improvised, and will be remembered as hands-off.

• There are no newspaper tears or cuts, no center tear, no peek, no counting, no secret writing, no sleights, no weird procedure, no complex maths or logic or convoluted stuff, etc.
• All you need is a normal borrowed newspaper. No gimmicks, no other props, cards, swami, pens, etc. Nothing else, except ...you... and the secret.

"I think your routine is very good. I may use it a couple times myself." - Brian T. Lees (a.k.a. Topper)

Effect:

You produce a deck of cards and hand it to a spectator. (You will not touch it or see it any more). The spectator shuffles the deck, selects a card, folds it and puts a rubber band or a paper clip tight around it. Despite these lab conditions, you try to guess their card! And believe it or not, you will always succeed. Their card can be given back as a souvenir. It does...

In ten seconds, you will be able to guess any information thought among two possibilities. It can be any effect where there are two outcomes.

• Improvised
• Very versatile principle
• Can be used in existing routines where you need to know for instance if a thought card is RED or BLACK, if a spectator likes something or not, etc.

• The nice thing about this principle, is that it is 100% impromptu, and even improvised.
• 100% Hands off
• No stooges
• No gimmick or electronics
• Works with many objects that can be borrowed (pen, knife/spoon/fork, lighter, eraser, card box, pack of cigarettes,...

A simple chair test.

A very simple and practical chair test with three participants.

• It can be performed close-up, at a restaurant or dinner table, a bar, etc., or even on stage or TV
• Impromptu
• Easy reset
• OK for strolling too

[The basic effect is included in Pocket Mysteries, and in Cool Hot Pocket Mysteries.

Watch Max Maven perform a very similar effect. (Max Maven never published his method thus his method could be different how Gerard does it.):

1st edition 2016, 17 pages....

The following effects are practical, commercial, use classic techniques or principles with new ideas, and, most importantly, are "connection-makers". They are impromptu, for closeup, strolling, and parlor, and do not take much pocket space. Most are very fast, require nothing else than the provided images, tables, list, etc. sometimes with business cards and a pen.

MASCOT: Your spectator has to find your "mascot" among a list. Very easy, and entertaining. In 30 seconds, you will fool everybody, except 4WD addicts!

MONTH PSYCHO: "Month psycho" is another method to guess a birth month....

Here is another close-up (or parlor) version of the Monty Hall problem. It can be a standalone effect, or a premise, or a follow-up to other versions ( "V1" , "V2" , "V3", "Transaction" ), again with a completely different method. It helps to demonstrate that a player should always switch, but in a very baffling way. In the first phase, you show that the spectator should switch the two doors in order to win. But in a second identical phase, they will always loose.

• Not a "puzzle", no logic involved. (Actually, a real mystery that looks completely illogical, mind-blowing and disturbing.) ...

Tons of ideas in this manual...A compendium of effects, principles and methods related somehow to the "Any card at any number" plot, commonly called ACAAN. Even though they are not all 'perfect' ACAAN's, they are interesting, entertaining or original variants from an audience point of view.

• Some are original, some are based on combinations of old principles, with some 'twists' or new ideas.
• Most are card tricks, some are not.
• Some are impromptu or even improvised, some need some preparation.
• Some are hands off, some need some (easy) sleight of hand.
• Some are direct, some are more convoluted. ...

Two effects for one low price.

An improvised month divination

Month ID is an original method to secretly gain knowledge of a stranger's month of birth. (Actually, any information among twelve possibilities...) It can be done independently, anytime, anywhere, without any preparation at all, or props.

Basic Effect:

You ask a person you just met: "Do you know your zodiac digit? It is a digit between 0 and 9 that is influenced by the season, the climate, the month of birth and other factors. Here is how to calculate your ZODIAC DIGIT: Think of your birth month and do the following ... " (Very simple, just a couple of...

Before re-designing your business cards, check this out. It will save you hours and money for trials and errors, in looking for a practical and simple way to make business cards useful for your mentalism effects. Clever business cards can become a very powerful secret weapon you will always carry with you. They can also replace expensive props or effects, and allow you to create your own and personalized routines. Not to mention that your business cards are a wonderful marketing tool, as well.

The "system" described in this e-book, will allow you to improvise many mental effects, that use...

An improvised technique for the HEADS or TAILS plot, or else, as it can be done with any flat object, like an index card or a piece of paper for instance with a different information on each side (that can be different than HEADS or TAILS, and allow a more captivating story than a binary game or a bet).

Effect (as perceived by the audience):

• "Please take a coin, toss it, and watch secretly which side is up"...
• "There is no way anybody here can know if you lie or tell the truth"...
• "Now, if you want, you can turn the coin over. You can do it covertly, as many times as you want."

Effect:

Somebody hides a coin in one of their hands, and the mentalist has to guess or predict which one: Left or Right?

This method uses classic techniques and is probably the simplest, the most direct, the safest, and probably the boldest one! It can be done separately, or embedded with other methods, or used as an out. Its major advantage is that it will not be perceived as a logic puzzle, and will really leave an impression of free choice. It will kill all previous solutions of potential methods (logic, electronic, gimmicked, etc.) that Cartesian spectators might suspect.

Another...

Here is another ploy to the Monty Hall problem, one of the most unexplored plots in magic and mentalism.

In this version, the mentalist plays the role of the candidate, and the participant plays the role of the host. As many people nowadays know the Monty Hall paradox or can search for it on the net, the game is made slightly more complex, in order to avoid any probabilities: The player can also play the role of a corrupt presenter if they wish. He can secretly steal the prize behind the third door, making it impossible for you to win the Ferrari! All this will allow you to mix mentalism...

This effect is a variation of an effect called ACAT (Any Card At Any Time), extracted from CLUE ebook. It can be presented with playing cards, or special cards (like the Vernet PSImbol deck, or movies (like Directors's cut or Screen test), French postcards, etc.), or just with blank index cards or your own business cards (with drawings, symbols, words, numbers, etc. on the back). It is not a card trick, but rather a mystery or paradox.

It is hands-off, automatic, self-working, can be done over the phone or sight unseen, stand up, close up or stage (with jumbo cards). It is easy, practical, and...

This ebook explores for the first time, the principles inherent to probably any newspaper, magazine, or publication, in the world. Everybody reads them, every day, but nobody notices the rules and logic in the innocent sheets they hold in their own hands. These properties are good to know as they allow some pretty neat impromptu or improvised effects, or design your own routines, once you know their 'secrets'.

It is more a piece of knowledge every magician or mentalist should know. Most 'recipes' are simple, and there is no difficult memorization or calculation involved.

All the effects...

This is a different approach to the Zodiac sign topic, with somebody you have never met before. It is not a sign divination. It looks like an improvised and casual prediction of a complete stranger's Zodiac sign.

What the audience sees, or will remember:

You show them a business card with all the Zodiac signs on it. You ask a participant to name their sign, and on the back of the card, his or her sign was already drawn.

You will need a one-time preparation with index cards and a jacket, (or a wallet) to carry it. It does not require pre-show work, pocket writing or dual-reality.

...

Get ready for Halloween (and all year long)! With this little creature and story, you will scare people to death as it will look realistic and credible. It is based on a true story. You will have to buy a little gimmick (around 1$).

1st edition 2015.

The "Bill trick", "Fred trick" or "Phil trick" (Paul Marcus, Fred Lowe, Trevor Duffy, Phil Goldstein,...) is so strong and funny, that it can be a closer, or even a standalone trick if you want to impress somebody, or get some booking.

For those who do not know it, here is a summary of the effect: A deck of cards is placed on the table. A spectator is asked to merely think of any card. The performer says: "The name of your card is Phil!". The deck is shown to have different names printed on the back of every card, and the named card is found to have the name Phil printed on the back!

This...

This is one of my favorite routines with fingers.

Effect:

"Please tell us a color." The freely named color is written on a single business card (or somewhere else). "Interesting... I bet I can influence you now to choose a certain finger for instance." You take a bill from your wallet. (The participant can bet as well.) You show your hand (or you draw a hand on the business card or another one): "Please point to any finger." The spectator freely points to a finger, and of course, this is the one you wanted her to select.

• It is that direct: They announce their choice, and you conclude....

With this flexible system or combination of principles, you will be able to create your own effects like this one: Example of effect:

"Do you think you are influenceable? I bet you are..."

You show a business card with the five ESP symbols. The spectator freely points to one of them. This is the one you predicted.

• The basic effect is not new, but it is that direct and quick: They announce their choice, and you conclude.
• There is apparently no 'process', no force, no fumbling, etc. in between.
• It uses common objects (pen, index card/paper, etc.).
• Any patter or presentation can be...

Have you ever noticed that sometimes daughters and mothers look similar, not only because of genes, but also the way they dress, their hair style or colour, their glasses, etc. Same thing with pets, especially dogs. Sometimes, they really look like their owner.

In this ebook, you will find some ressources to use this idea in packet tricks, using images instead of playing cards. The impact on your audience will be much bigger and entertaining.

Example of effect:

You show a bunch of photos in one pile, and you show another pile face down, without showing the photos. "There is a sosie...

This is a useful effect for those who don't like tricks with smart phones, computers, etc. or if you perform for an audience who doesn't like them either. But it works very well also for computer addicts.

Effect:

You place a prediction in a glass or in full view. You write a list of activities (For instance: Reading, Play Music, Work, etc.). The participant chooses one of them (There is absolutely no force).

And now the "crescendo":

• You show your prediction and it was right (this one is an optional gag, or pretext for getting your audience involved).
• On the pen there was another...

This is a funny little trick and a very simple plot. You can carry it in your wallet and always be ready, anytime, anywhere, or you prepare it in larger format, and perform it for larger audiences.

Effect:

You show an image of three ladies. The spectator selects one of them, and it was predicted on the back. It is also a funny visual gag. Very entertaining, simple, direct, easy to do, instant reset, and practical.

1st edition 2015.

BILL DATES: You predict the bill and the date that a spectator you just met, will take out of his wallet.

THE JANUS FORCE: A business card is fairly selected among five, by throwing a dice, only once (or by freely naming a digit 1 to 6). The result on the back of the card was predicted in advance of course. Furthermore, you can show that the odds should have been against this result, as there were more cards with the opposite outcome. This system can be used to force any choice between two possibilities (for instance: red or black, heads or tails, etc.) even though the other choice had more...

All the effects will look improvised from the audience point of view, but they need a one-time preparation, and all are easy, except for the three last ones that will need more practice and some rehearsal.

ATM wallet: You will do this one every single time you have to pay something. You need an item every magician has got already in their drawer.

X=H3-E2: Rapidly force one object among a higher number of objects. (twice as fast as "PATEO", and easier to perform.)

Phone hypnosis: Block a borrowed phone (harmless), with the power of your mind. Easy.

Bright as a feather: Use a feather...

This product bundle includes three items, with more than 15 effects that can be carried in your pockets.

Cool Mysteries impromptu, requires no special props or preparation. The two other ones need some one-time preparation (only one effect needs a special gimmick): Pocket Mysteries, Hot Mysteries.

CONTENTS

COOL MYSTERIES

• Elimination
• The bills trips mystery
• Hands off my Lady!
• Guess my card
• Take my order
• Any candy at any number

• Monty Hall dilemna (V1)
• Flash at Carnival, Nice 1932
• Free will ( V1)
• Color healing
• SVP

• The hypnosis system
• The die is cast
• Chair'Z ...

It is impossible nowadays to be a magician or mentalist and not perform an effect with a phone, smartphone, ipad, laptop, etc. It is also perfectly justifiable to use it as a prediction, as an out, a cueing system, a cribsheet, a storyboard, etc.

This bundle is about phones, but it also contains original effects, ideas and principles, sometimes combined with classic ones, and some of them can be applied to your existing routines, or sometimes without a phone. The Mimosa principle will transform your smart phone into an extremely powerful tool that you can use as a multiple out system or emergency...

[Note: This effect was already part of Mentalism Games.]

From the audience point of view, this effect will look completely improvised as you present it with nothing. Just their fingers and yours. It really blows people's minds (laymen and magicians alike).

Finger burn: Ask a spectator to show you any finger; and put it over a candlelight or an invisible lighter. Your same finger will carry a blister even though your hands were apparently in full view all the time.

Voodoo finger: A variation to give away your business card.

1st edition 2015, 13 pages.

This powerful utility will transcend a simple magic effect, or allow you to innocently bring something mental, emotional, strange, during a normal conversation, or an act.

• It seems to bring a plausible explanation to people's choices.
• It will provide misdirection or a logical disconnect, or another layer of deception.
• It will prepare your audience for a bigger "surprise".

[Note: This effect was already part of Mentalism games.

Effect: A spectator names any card, and you immediately produce it from your pocket.

Or: You write two cards on two business cards, put one in each pocket, and the spectator has to guess at least one of them. (It can be repeated right away if you want).

The method is 100% surefire and practical. There is no math, no probabilities, a little bit of memorization, but it is almost "intuitive". It is not difficult but needs a bit of rehearsal at the beginning, like for everything. It looks casual, completely impromptu, or even improvised, but you will have to do a onetime preparation with...