Ken de Courcy products: page 2

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...

Four prize winning routines on the "find the ace" theme, performed with extra giant cards that you can print yourself.

IN PERFORMANCE

The performer shows three extra giant cards. The audience are asked to follow the movements of the Ace of Diamonds, The Ace is mixed up with the two other extra giant cards shown - the Two and Three of Clubs. The audience never are able to discover the whereabouts of the elusive Ace. The Ace transposes continuously in an incredible manner even while it is in the hands of a spectator or while it is marked by a clip. The spectator himself takes the ace in...

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...

A gradual transposition of three silver coins and three golden coins with an unexpected climax. Two routines.

Many methods have been devised for the classical effect wherein three coins pass invisibly through space to join three more. "Dubbelkross" and "Simulkross" are two further variations on the same theme; but, not only are the methods altered, the effects are, too. In fact, "Dubbelkross" represents the first attempt (as far as I know) at giving this transposition a definite climax. "Simulkross" does not pretend to give a startling climax, but is interesting because coins pass simultaneously...

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...

Instantly find any card called for by spelling out its name. No sleight of hand requested. No force.

This is Ken's version of "Magic Spell" by Hen Fetsch. Although it looks incredible, with a simple preparation of the deck you will be able to immediately find any card named by someone in the audience simply by spelling it. You will be able to do this with different spectators one after the other. Yes you can take out the pack of cards and spell any of the 52 cards...and, yes, the Joker too.

In the complete instructions by Ken de Courcy you will find in detail how to do the simple preparation...

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...

A multi effect comedy card routine with audience participation and an unexpected climax. Cards mysteriously increase and decrease of number in magician's hands defying the laws of mathematics in a crescendo of surprises.

EFFECT

The magician fans a pack of cards to a spectator asking him to choose one and place it in his inside jacket pocket. The performer tries to read the mind of the spectator and to guess the chosen card but he fails. In desperation he slings the pack high in the air. With hardly a break, he removes some more cards from his pocket and goes straight into another trick...

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...

"Everywhere and Nowhere" is a classic plot which, due to the difficulties in performance, is rarely seen. The original version calls for exceptional aptitude in card-changes which are not the easiest sleights to do well. Here is a new method utilizing a well-known fake pack that surely you already have, used in an undetectable way. This routine brings "Everywhere and Nowhere" within the range of everybody. Give it that and you'll have a trick that will amaze and entertain both laymen and magicians.

EFFECT:

A card is selected from a pack, then returned and the deck is cut a number of times...

Here is a wonderful routine that you can perform every time and everywhere. From an idea by George Sands, Ken developed a beautiful three phases routine that can be performed under all circumstances with eight unprepared giant cards. The routine develops the theme “You can’t do what I do”.

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...

Based on a Bob Hummer and Karl Fulves principle. A spectator is handed seven playing-cards. He shuffles them, then places one of them aside face-down without looking at it. Now squares of cardboard are shown with cut-out windows. Spectator follows the magician's instructions and, at the end, looking through the cut-out windows in the cards, an index of a card appears. The chosen card is turned over and has been correctly revealed.

You will have to make up the squares of cardboard for this. The trick itself is self-working, the real work having been put into the evolution of the effect, but they are useful for...

A close-up "lay-out" type effect based on a mythical game, "New Zealand Brag".

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.

Routines with the Himber type linking finger ring.

• The Original Himber Routine
• Richard Himber's StaggeRing
• The K de C Triple Link (Ken de Courcy)
• About Rings and Things (George Blake)
• Ring, Pin and Cord
• Chinese Coins and Rings
• A Ring and a Loop o'String
• Sefalaljia-By Hand
• BewildeRing

1st digital edition 2018, 19 pages.

If you like a real card baffler, look no further. This is a sort of 'One-Deck Do-As-I-Do' but it works on a very different principle.

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,...

From the Foreword:

• Introduction ...
• Foreword ...
• CHAPTER ONE: MAGIC WITH CARDS
  • Reggie the Rattlesnake
  • Ri-Ki-Ki Poker
  • Silken Card Discovery
  • The Travelling Phoenix
  • The Snake Charmer
• CHAPTER TWO: MAGIC WITH THE MIND
  • Eve v Adam
  • "Hail, O Swami"
  • Tangled Thoughts
  • The Devil's Key
• CHAPTER THREE: MAGIC WITH ANYTHING
  • No Knot
  • The Sympathetic Note Trick
  • The Jeweller's Dream
  • Which Witch?
  • The Chinese Picture
  • The Fiddled Furniture
  • The Ju-Ju...

A chosen card that not only penetrates right through a deck of cards and a card-case, but also right through a spectator's hand. A very strong effect that looks impossible.

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.

Here is Ken's version of the signed card to wallet. A classic effect in a beautiful version with the complete presentation. The Effect: A card is chosen and signed by the taker. When it has been returned to the pack, a wallet is introduced. Inside it is a card which proves to be the one that was chosen and signed.

• No palming
• No force
• Use any wallet
• Easy to do
• Diabolical method

1st edition 1985, 1st digital edition 2018, 4 pages.

Here is another magical gem from Ken De Courcy. It is packed with mystery, humor and audience participation. This card effect is suitable for close-up, stage, cabaret-floor or where you want to present it. The totally unexpected (yet logical) climax really hits the audience between the eyes and cannot fail to gather applause.

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. ...

Ken de Courcy and Billy McComb took an old chemical effect, figured out the secret that makes it work reliably, and worked out all the other kinks, to make it ready for real world performances. The effect reads like one from Lubor Fiedler.

Effect: The magician introduces a circle of yellow tissue paper and hands it to a spectator to crumple into a ball. He receives it back then, holding it at his fingertips, concentrates on it for a few moments. The tissue ball is placed on an ashtray then ... it suddenly bursts into flames and burns away.

PDF 6 pages.

Impromptu tricks for audiences who speak little to no English.

In today's global world it is important to be able to do magic for folks who do not speak your language or who do not understand the cultural nuances and jokes you may have in your primary program. Many of the tricks taught are impromptu. From the introduction by Billy McComb:

From the introduction:

An amazing three part routine with a simple piece of rope and a borrowed ring.

The routine is in three parts. In Part I, a borrowed signet-ring is threaded on a rope, then penetrates it. Part II sees the ring again threaded and also knotted on the rope. Nevertheless, the ring visibly dissolves through leaving just the knot. In Part III the ring is threaded and knotted on the rope then a handkerchief is wrapped round it and the whole thing is held by a spectator. When instructed, he allows the handkerchief to drop to the floor to disclose an 'empty' rope; no ring ... not even a knot.

Since...

From the introduction: