Self-Working or Sleightless in Cards: page 8

This is an incredible topological curiosity with a playing card and a third!

Four odd shaped pieces, cut from Bicycle playing cards, are tabled. You explain that three of the pieces marry together to form the shape of a complete playing card. The extra piece is only supplied in case of emergencies (i.e. if you lose a piece!) The extra 'emergency' piece is shown to be the same shape as one of the other pieces and is then set aside.

Strangely, although you easily solved the 'apparently' simple jig-saw puzzle, no one else can!

Comes with a bonus routine: Bomb$hell Deluxe.

1st edition...

This is David Gemmell's solution to the classic Paul Curry/Stewart James card problem "51 Faces North".

History of the card problem:

• Paul Curry conceived the idea for this effect sometime in the 1940's. At the time he had no workable method for achieving the effect.
• Ed Marlo got wind of this sometime in 1949 and published a method in the Cardician 1953.
• Stewart James and Howard Lyons corresponded on this subject in 1953.
• Stewart James contributed several methods to Ibidem in the early years of its run. This is where Stewart James first laid down the (almost) impossible conditions for the effect dubbing his idea as "51 Faces North".
• Jon Racherbaumer launched the Hierophant...

Here you will find 20 self-working effects all based on mathematical principles. Most of them are card tricks. This is the first volume in a series of ebooks.

Max Maven: "I am a fan of Werner Miller."

Scott Cram: "Werner Miller has a great knack for taking simple mathematical principles to highly entertaining levels."

Walt Lees: "[Werner originates] card and mental magic based on subtlety and well-hidden mathematical principles. Unlike so much of that kind of thing, Werner's ideas are distinguished by their clean-cut methods and easy-to-understand effects."

R. Shane: "Werner [...] is a frightening man. Not 'Norman Bates' frightening....

Werner Miller continues with the second volume in his series of self-working and semi-automatic effects all based on mathematical principles. Most of them are card tricks.

Aldo Colombini: "This material is both compelling and provocative. I like it very much. My compliments! My personal favorite so far: A SERIES OF SURPRISES and POLE POSITION. But of course, I am sure I'll find more..."

Peter Duffie (in Magic Magazine, Feb 2010): Enigmaths 1, 2 & 3. Warm up the slide rule; Werner Miller has written three new e-books on math magic.

I first became aware of the work of Werner Miller through his 2006 book Ear Marked, published by Shane of Leaping...

Werner Miller continues with his third volume in this series of self-working and semi-automatic effects all based on mathematical principles. Most of them are card tricks. A total of twenty effects for the magician looking for subtle math to enable stunning miracles. Everything is clearly explained with drawings, diagrams and tables.

Peter Duffie (review from Magic Magazine), Feb 2010: "Miller knows how to work with strange and wonderful arithmetical principles, and he comes up with some brilliant ideas. ... If mathematical magic scares you or you find it dull, Enigmaths could well change your mind and pull you over...

Werner Miller continues with his fourth volume in this series of self-working and semi-automatic effects all based on mathematical principles. Many of them are card tricks.

The way that a magic trick works can be just as amazing as the trick itself. - Persi Diaconis, from CMI Annual Report 2006, p. 4.

1st edition 2010; 36 pages.

Table of Contents

3. Hands on Magic Squares
8. Columbus Square
11. Blind Landing
13. Matrix Force Plus
18. Persiste!
19. Dubai Dab
21. Cut of the Spade
22. Club Swinging
22. Diamond Couple
23. Call to the Colors
24. Red Stranger
25. Anagram
26. Diamond Puzzle
28. Hold the Line!
30. Diaspora
31. Computer...

Werner Miller continues with his fifth volume in this series of self-working and semi-automatic effects all based on mathematical principles. Many of them are card tricks.

Mathematical magic has its own curious charms. It combines the beauty of the mathematical structure with the entertainment value of a trick. - Martin Gardner, from the preface of Mathematics, Magic and Mystery, 1956.

1st edition 2010; 36 pages.

Table of Contents

3. Can You See Your Card?
7. Answering to Their Names
8. Answering to Their Names – Plus
10. Calling a Spade a Spade
11. Calling a Spade a Spade – Plus
13. Ladies’ Choice
15. Starring...

Werner Miller continues with his sixth volume in this series of self-working and semi-automatic effects all based on mathematical principles. Many of them are card tricks.

In the right circumstances mathematical tricks properly presented are more likely to be accepted as real magic than anything of a finger-flinging nature. - Karl Fulves, from the introduction of Gene Finnell's Card Magic, 1973.

1st edition 2010; 36 pages.

Table of Contents

3. Enough!
5. I Know
6. All You Need Is...
7. Reverse Faro Five
10. Affinities
11. Affinities - Plus
12. Double Proof
13. Double-Decker
15. Meeting One's Match
16. Numerable Clue ...

Werner Miller continues with his seventh volume in this series of self-working and semi-automatic effects all based on mathematical principles. Many of them are card tricks.

1st edition 2011; 31 pages. Illustrated.

Table of Contents

3. Cardician’s Solitaire
4. I’m NOT Ogen
5. Alternately
6. Segregation I
7. Segregation II
8. Four Queens
10. Two Aces
10. Upwards
12. Free Cut Duo
13. Flip Coda
14. Similar Endings
16. Huit Cartes
17. Countdown
18. Flipdoodle I
19. Flipdoodle II
20. Escalera
21. Pasillo
23. Arrowbatics
25. OLRAM Arrows
27. Arrow Predictions

Werner Miller continues with his eighth volume in this series of self-working and semi-automatic effects all based on mathematical principles. Many of them are card tricks.

1st edition 2011; 32 pages. Illustrated.

Table of Contents

3. It Goes Like This
5. Segregation III
6. Segregation IV
7. One for YOU, one for ME
8. Self-Fulfilling Prophecies
9. Poker Prophecies
12. Court-Die-ally
13. Symmetrical Surprise I
15. Symmetrical Surprise II
17. Hera's Method
18. Hera’s Method – XL
19. Any Other Card
20. Where Is It?
21. U/D Swapping
22. A Trick With 18 Cards
23. Two, Three, Four
25. Positions of Trost
27. Moment musical
28. The Hol(e)y Card ...

Werner Miller continues with his ninth and last volume in this series of self-working and semi-automatic effects all based on mathematical principles. Many of them are card tricks.

"Any trick requiring a sleight is not honest. You are telling a lie with your fingers. (...) A puzzle is more clever than a trick, because with a trick you cheat to get the result. With a semi-automatic effect – using a principle – one tends to feel a little more honest." - Stewart James (1908-1996)

1st edition 2011; 35 pages. Illustrated.

Table of Contents

3. Logic
4. The Substitute
7. Puzzle Time
9. "1 – 9"
11. Middle...

sub rosa – Latin for "in the strictest confidence"

Welcome to the launch of a new multi-volume series on original semi-automatic ("self-working") tricks, mainly with cards. Enjoy this compilation of easy-to-do, mathbased magic without any sleight of hand, created to amaze and to intrigue both the performer and the audience. Have fun!

• Eye Candy
• Peteresque
• Cherchez les Femmes
• The 13th Card
• Girl Guides
• Alternating Colors
• Who?
• in situ
• Family Affairs II
• Dressage
• Halves
• Calling for the Mate
• MATELOT
• From the Middle
• My Spouse
• Smileys
• apart – together
• assorti
• Clues I
• Clues...

More new mathbased and self-working magic tricks from Werner Miller. All of the effects make use of ESP cards. In some cases a non-ESP alternative is presented.

• Empty Net Goals
• Another ESP Twizzler
• 1, 2, 3!
• Triplet
• Rainbow
• mm-aa-tt-cc-hh
• Color Twins
• Color Clue
• 100 Percent
• Chased
• Old Maid
• Parallel ESPlus
• The Last Pair(s)
• Latin ESP Square
• Identidem
• Identidem Light
• Mirimodis
• Two-Way ESP
• Consonus
• Deciens

1st edition 2012, 28 pages.

SELF WORKING - SELF CONTAINED - INSTANT RESET - WORKS EVERY TIME

(This is Dave's treatment of Cameron Francis' effect 18: A Powerhouse Prediction Effect.)

EFFECT: You display a deck of cards and begin by telling your spectator two pieces of information:

1. One of the cards in the deck has had its back altered.
2. The deck is in a completely random order but for three cards which you have specifically positioned for the experiment.

More new mathbased and self-working magic tricks from Werner Miller.

• No Spot Card
• WYSIWYG II
• Do Not Disturb!
• Equivalent
• Who’s the Boss?
• Line Dancer
• moitié, moitié
• And Her Son
• Color Mate
• Six Hearts, Six Spades
• Private Eyes
• More Spousal Cooperation
• Spell the 4mula
• This Suit, That Value
• DC Speller
• Welcome to the Clubs
• A Crazy Idea
• Pseudo Princess
• In Between
• Any Other Sign

1st edition 2013, 28 pages.

More new mathbased and self-working magic tricks from Werner Miller.

• in medio
• ESP Roll
• Neighborly Help
• Lucky Star
• ESPecial Countdown
• ESP Sandwich
• Better Twice
• Sandwich Twins
• expressis verbis
• Elimination
• Multiplying
• A la Thatcher
• Terry-ficial
• Broad Hints
• All Good Things
• Quatrefoil
• Triple Do-As-I-Do
• Dutch Derivation
• La Pléiade
• Helping Hands

1st edition 2013, 28 pages.

More new mathbased and self-working magic tricks from Werner Miller.

• Famigliola
• DC Speller II
• E4tless
• Progressive Assembly
• Puzzling Progression
• Quarter Final
• The Jinx Card
• en passant
• Sigma – amgiS
• What Became of the Queens?
• No Big Deal
• French Sandwich
• And the Color Is
• The 17-Card Trick
• Multilingual
• Pasillo II
• dESPatch I
• dESPatch II
• Five Matching Pairs
• Reverse Faro ESP

1st edition 2013, 28 pages.

More new mathbased and self-working magic tricks from Werner Miller.

• Separated Bedrooms
• Royal Surprises
• Quest for the Truth
• Tracked Down
• Oops!
• Faroing
• Milk & Spell
• Royal Sandwiches
• Rotary Traffic
• Brute Force Square I
• Brute Force Square II
• Signed
• diES P
• Escalero II
• Pasillo III
• Equalizer Sandwich
• Odd – Even
• French Sandwich II
• Windmill
• Vis-à-vis

1st edition 2013, 28 pages.

More new math-based and self-working magic tricks from Werner Miller.

• Two Questions
• Under/Down Sandwich
• Tag Team
• Lie + Truth = ?
• 1 + 3 = 4
• Take Five
• A Nest of Predictions
• Viale
• As the Saying Goes
• Echo
• Arc de Triomphe
• Determined I
• Determined II
• Diligent
• Parallels
• Ambitious Symbols
• Tornado Spotting
• Pairs I
• Pairs II
• Dance of the Symbols

Here you will learn several stunning sleight-less card routines which are based on a principle that while not new, already Alex Elmsley and others before him have explored it, is brought to new prominence by Nick Conticello. Using this idea he has created stunning card routines that require no sleight of hand. Nevertheless, the occasional false cut or false shuffle can greatly enhance these pieces. Nick teaches an effective false cut, the Widdershins Cut.

• The 23rd Card
• The 28th Card
• The Shadow Divination
• The Widdershins Cut
• The Three Predictions

1st edition 2014, 16 pages.

More new math-based and self-working magic tricks from Werner Miller.

• Baby ACAAN
• en passant
• 6 5 2
• Hen Party
• Roll Call
• Double Foursome
• Teaser
• On the Left, on the Right
• … and in the Middle
• Three of a Color
• Milk Run
• Dyad I
• Dyad II
• Five Pairs
• 4 1 / 4 2
• 4 2 / 4 3
• Open ESPrediction
• Voilà!
• In File
• Another Choreography

1st edition 2014, 28 pages.

More new math-based and self-working magic tricks from Werner Miller.

• Mathematics
• ESP Fibs
• Alea
• Either - Or
• 2 x 4
• Perfect
• Pyramidal
• What Do You Guess?
• Guess vs. Know vs. Trick
• ESP Roll 2
• Seven
• Singled Out
• Curious Queen
• Over And Over Again
• Counterparts
• Good Team Players
• 1 Year And 2 Days
• Joe's Diploma Piece
• Luck Squared
• x x x

1st edition 2015, 30 pages.

From the introduction:

A card merely thought of from the spectators own hands is eerily revealed by the magician. A foolproof method utilizing clever wording and suggestion allows this incredibly solid effect to manifest.

No Sleights, The spectator has a free choice of any of the cards in their own hands, the magician doesn't even touch the cards once they've been handed over and the card is never spoken until it finds it's way out of the magician's lips.

1st edition 2007; 10 pages.