Ken de Courcy

An "even bet" gambling routine in ten stages with no preparation and no sleight of hand.

A gambling routine which is completely different to anything that has gone before, because it doesn't deal with the usual card games such as Poker, Blackjack, Bridge and so on. Even Stephen is a routine, you don't play for money, instead play for matches ... and yet you win. Even with poor luck, you "scoop the pool". It's all so easy to do, the main skill being in presentation. 'The last Bet' is the only one needing a little handling and even that shouldn't place a great strain on your ability. Altogether...

A very easy to do routine in which a black card repeatedly flies from hand to pocket leaving spectators amazed again and again, despite the performer trying to simplify things. All can be examined.

Imagine deliberately counting five cards....four of which are red with only one black. Each and every card is called and shown - without a single false move four cards are tossed to the table and the black card is seen to have vanished. It is reproduced from the pocket. Now Imagine that you can do it again and again each time eliminating one red card to make it easier for the public to follow the...

Find any card a spectator takes from a borrowed and shuffled pack.

EFFECT: The magician tells his audience he has trained his mind to work like a computer. To demonstrate its computer-like capabilities, he asks a spectator to shuffle a pack of cards then, without looking at it, remove one card and place it in his pocket. Taking back the pack, the performer runs through it quickly, then goes through it again even more quickly and pulls out one card which he places face down on the table. The spectator removes his card from his pocket and places it face-up alongside the magician's card, then...

A "Coin Assembly" with a signed and torn playing card with a surprising finish.

EFFECT: A spectator shuffles a pack then removes a card. The card is signed on the face by the spectator and torn into four quarters, and then an indifferent card is shown and laid aside face down on the table. One at a time the four quarters of the chosen card are vanished and reappear under the indifferent card. When the fourth corner should have arrived, however, there is nothing at all under the card ... all four have vanished. When the card is turned over, it is found to be the chosen card, complete with...

You correctly guess how many red and black cards a spectator has casually put into four pockets with an unexpected climax. No skill required.

EFFECT

A spectator is given a pack of cards, or he can use his own. He shuffles it, removes some cards, splits them into blacks and reds and places the blacks in his left trouser-pocket and the reds in his right. He takes some more cards, splits them as before and conceals the black cards in his left jacket pocket and the reds in his right. All this has taken place while the performer's back is turned.

The magician asks the spectator to again...

Effect: Having enticed a spectator up to help, the magician hands him eight jumbo cards and says, "Please give me any four....and keep four yourself." This done, both performer and spectator carry out some simple movements but, when the cards are counted over, all the magician's cards are face down...

You deal out the shuffled Aces, Kings and Queens, yet miraculously when the hands are turned over they have separated into suits and, what is more, each hand is in their right order, Queen, King, Ace! Something very different in card magic.

1st edition 2018, 5 pages.

Cards are shuffled and cut both by the spectator and the performer (really!). The spectator mentally chooses a card (free choice) and the performer does the same. Then the cards are shuffled again. Unbelievably, the magician and the spectator get cards of the same value and colour. It almost works itself.

Effect: The performer cuts a portion off the pack, hands it to a spectator and asks him to do exactly as he does. First they both shuffle their packets,...

The effect is startling because it appears to happen in the spectator's own hands. As always Ken provides precious ideas for an intriguing presentation.

• Easy to do
• No palming
• The card can be signed

1st edition 1986; 1st digital edition 2018, 4 pages.

EFFECT: A lady is invited to assist. She chooses one of four envelopes and the remaining three are left in full view. She is then handed a red-backed pack to shuffle while the magician shuffles a blue pack. Then the packs are exchanged and shuffled again if you want. ...