Magic & Mentalism: page 433

One of my favourite mentalism effects of all time is So Sato's "Bath Towel Mentalism." It's a very strong card divination effect with a super clever method, and I've been performing it for more than 5 years. As good as the effect is, for a while I'd been trying to improve it in two ways. (1) I wanted to allow the spectators to look at their selections during the routine (rather than at the end), and (2) I didn't want the spectators to swap their selections (it always felt a bit unjustified to ask them to do this). Eventually, a solution to achieve these two things occurred to me and that is...

Houdini and I among the spiritualists.

This book is one of the most important sources of skeptical literature on paranormal investigation from 1890 - 1950. It includes obscure and forgotten newspaper records, material that today appears nowhere else. Its references to Houdini and clippings dealing with him provide important source material for research into Houdini.

1. Early Days with Houdini. The Search Begins. Society for Psychical Research. The Feats of Stuart Cumberland. Tests in Muscle-Reading. Herrmann the Great. The Hen that Laid Gold Pieces. The Talking Kettle
2. The Seybert Commission. A...

In this five-book series, I reveal the mentalism effects I've created over the past 15 years - none of which have ever been published before.

In Volume #4, you'll get 10 powerful effects across different categories: Locks, "Cyphers?", Monsters, Fate, and Bizarre. Plus, 3 bonus ideas - two with a Malini-inspired feel, and one where I've tackled a plot I've always disliked. (Did I fix it? You decide.)

As a special bonus, you'll get 16 QR codes linking to video footage, a hidden website, and exclusive behind-the-scenes content.

You'll also receive full access to 2 custom web apps: ...

A simple presentation/props for a trick using the Gilbreath principle.

The magician plays a game with a spectator and tells him that the spectator is guaranteed to win. The spectator will make every decision. And this all happens because the magician can see into the future.

1st edition 2025, PDF 20 pages.

A freely named card. A freely chosen number. A shuffled deck that the magician never touches.

Yet, against all logic, the card appears exactly at the chosen position. No gimmicks, no sleight-of-hand - just an astonishing effect that seems beyond explanation.

Leveraging the power of subtle psychology and indirect use of web apps, The Ultimate ACAAN pushes the boundaries of what feels like real magic.

Please note that you will need a phone, or computer, your own or the spectator's, so that the spectator can visit a particular website that displays probabilities of chosen cards.

...

The Relentless Human-Machine Challenge.

A duel with an incredible outcome where the magician stages, through a simple deck of cards, a real challenge between human and artificial intelligence, in a setting inspired by the famous sci-fi saga "The Matrix".

Strengths

1. The effect is self-working and practically impromptu.
2. No special memory efforts are required for the illusionist.
3. No need to follow complicated rules or apply special techniques.
4. Easy to perform, but with absolutely incredible results.
5. It will amaze anyone who should witness the execution, including yourself.

A...

L'Implacabile Sfida Uomo-Macchina.

Un duello dall'esito incredibile dove il mago mette in scena, tramite un semplice mazzo di carte, una vera sfida tra intelligenza Umana ed Artficiale, in un'ambientazione ispirata alla celebre saga fantascientifica di "Matrix"

Punti di Forza:

1. L'effetto è incredibilmente Self-working e praticamente Impromptu!
2. Per l'Illusionista non sono necessari particolari sforzi di memoria.
3. Non occorre seguire regole complicate né applicare particolari tecniche...
4. Di facile esecuzione, ma dal risultato ASSOLUTAMENTE INCREDIBILE!
5. Stupirà chiunque dovessero...

A visual two-phase oil and water routine. Show four red cards and four black cards. Interleave them black-red-black-red ... exchange the top two cards and you can show the cards have unmixed into four black cards and four red cards. Mix them again, and they will again separate.

1st edition 2025, video 2:14

Mathematical Magic is exactly what its name implies - entertaining tricks, stunts, and effects that can be performed using numbers or objects, such as calendars and playing cards based on numerical principles. These tricks are amazingly simple and require only a few additional props, such as string, coins, or matches, nothing elaborate or professional. With a little practice and some patter, any amateur can put on a performance like a real professional.

The fascinating properties of numbers and the strange coincidences connected with them have been the subject of many books, and mathematical...

The last word on the vanishing bird cage.

The original illusion was invented by Buatier de Kolta around 1880. Mystic Craig has made this effect a feature item in his vaudeville performances. He shares his insights and improvements in this publication.

• Introduction
• A Word from the Author
• The Elusive Canary
• The Mystic Craig presentation of the Flying Cage
  • a. The net production of the canary
  • b. The appearance of the live bird in the cage
  • c. The disappearance of the bird from the paper bag
  • d. The reappearance of the bird in the cage
  • e. Vanishing the cage and bird
  • f. Reappearance of...

Here you will find all the tricks from the 2023 Kaymar Magic Advent Calendar, collected together into one ebook - 24 tricks, meticulously explained over 100 pages.

• Last Man Standing
• Lucky Break
• Cheeky Curry
• URWTU8
• Teleported
• The (4)Most Wonderful Time of the Year (Sarah Stott)
• Pack Whacker
• Flick Hoff
• Sorting Hat
• Vanishing Countdown (Jack Tighe)
• Pressure
• Picky Eater
• Alley Up
• Colourised
• High Stakes
• Slap Happy
• Final Countdown
• Blomburgers
• Mr Burns
• Thrice Predictable
• Famous Last Words
• Gemini Big Deal
• Hop, Skip and Jump
• 21 and Done

1st edition 2023, PDF 107 pages....

The title of this manuscript indicates that four classical plots are being covered.

• Classical Quickie transforms a "wrong" card to a "right" one, but the speed and visibility of the methods make it different. It's quick, interesting, and mysterious. You have several methods to choose.
• Doubly Ambitious takes the Ambitious plot out of the humdrum class.
• Double Transposition effects will give you a sense of happy accomplishment.
• Chameleon Queens inevitably intrigue audiences fascinated by repeated transformations.

The manuscript does not ignore the technical side with a set of techniques...

Featuring an unexpected and impossible prediction. A spectator selects a card and shuffles it back into the deck while the magician's back is turned. The magician then identifies the spectator's card and reveals a duplicate of that card already present in the deck before the effect began.

• Easy to do
• No force of any kind
• All 52 cards are different
• No Multiple Outs
• Works 100% of the time
• No fishing
• No electronics
• No mirrors or shiners
• No dual reality
• No stooges
• No switches

Note: You will need to buy a corner rounder ($12).

1st edition 2025, PDF 10 pages.

Hailed as the first book to present magic for children from the standpoint of child mentality. It outlines the opportunities in this field, discusses the type of program to be used, and tells how to work with children successfully. Several sample programs with presentation and patter are included.

The book also includes a supplement on "Sermonizing Magic" by Rev. Russell S. Balsiger which makes it extremely valuable to those who perform "magic with a message."

Contents:

• Foreword
• The Opportunist
• Me and My Shadow
• The Duel
• On Guard
• The Children's Hour
• Something to Talk About ...

What if your birthdate determined your Lucky Card, and what if that card was found in the exact position predicted in a shuffled deck - without the magician ever touching the cards?

With Lucky Card, you introduce a powerful connection between a deck of playing cards and the calendar, leading to an astonishing and impossible revelation. A spectator freely selects their birthdate, discovering a unique card linked to it. Then, against all odds, that very card is found at a specific position in a deck that has been set aside from the start.

Completely hands-off and deeply personal, Lucky...

Welcome to a magical experience that will leave you speechless. This incredible magic trick will immerse you in moments of pure wonder and amazement. Here's how it works:

Preparation: Four Aces are placed face up on the table. Small piles are formed underneath by dealing cards one by one under each Ace.

Audience Participation: The first spectator can say "stop" and decide on which Ace to place the next face-down card. This process is repeated by three other spectators, actively involving the audience and making the trick even more exciting.

The Magic: Once all the spectators have...

You show five seven of hearts. Splitting the package in half transforms them to 4 kings of clubs. Adding an ace turns them into a royal flash.

1st edition 2025, video 3:53.

"Believe in your dreams!"

"If you love magic history, you need this book. If you love card magic, you'll also get a big section of hardcore card methods from France. Christian Gambin, one of Paris' last remaining classic music-hall performers, has preserved the wild, bygone world of the Paris cabaret magic scene in his autobiography, an entire field of the art that disappeared as the modern era dawned. Gambin is a multitalented entertainer who's performed everywhere in Europe from the Paradis Latin to the Monaco Grand Prix of Magic. I saw him knock out audiences at many of those places. You'll...

• Jumpin Gemini - The most possible magic you can achieve using only four cards. Simply eye-popping.
• The Vegas Shuffle - Magic and gambling combine to showcase stacking and a separation of the reds and blacks.
• Darwin's 3-Card Monte - An all-time street swindle.
• The Pinky Count - A powerful tool for obtaining a break.
• Darwin's Wildcard - A group of cards change one by one to match another card. Very clean and magical.
• Hitchcock Aces - An ace assembly with a killer kicker.
• The Dream Card - The ultimate signed Card to Wallet.
• The Zarrow Shuffle - An invaluable false shuffle.

1st edition...

All 24 tricks are explained in detail.

1. Surprise Spell
2. Uppercut
3. Nice and Dicey
4. Lucky 13
5. Your Card Is...
6. Dis-Gardina
7. Under Milk Cup
8. Gemini Production
9. The Repeater
10. EZSP
11. Love-Craft(s)
12. Rovi-Over
13. Handy-Andy
14. Call to Arms
15. Best. Card. Trick. Ever
16. Undressed Rehearsal
17. The Xerox Effect (Stephen Tucker)
18. Uppers and Downers
19. Secret Service Subraction
20. Colours Will Tell
21. The Decoy Assembly
22. Three Four Letter Words
23. Irish Fortune Telling
24. If You Don't Like Luck

1st edition 2021, PDF 61 pages.

This is a very powerful two-spectator coincidence effect, where one spectator selects (and loses) a card under very fair conditions, and then a second spectator impossibly locates the card.

Imagine:

The magician introduces a deck of cards - he spreads it face-up to display that all the cards are different. He then hands the deck over to one of the spectators and asks them to thoroughly shuffle the deck. (They can shuffle in any way that they want.)

The magician then says, "I want you to make a free choice of any card in the shuffled deck. Simply spread the deck face down across the...

Every magician is certain to encounter a stacked deck at some point, whether in the early stages of learning or as they expand their repertoire. Understanding stacks not only equips magicians with powerful tools for creating seemingly impossible effects but also sharpens their awareness of how others might use these techniques. Mastery of stacks enhances one's ability to perform complex tricks, analyze routines critically, and develop innovative methods to captivate an audience. Embracing this foundational skill ensures that magicians can perform with both confidence and creativity.

In...

Edward Marlo's "Further Flight" from 1972 was a response to Lynn Searles "Pre-Cannibal Cards". These are some routines around that topic.

• Prologue
• Pre-Cannibal Cards / Lin Searles: A selection is placed between two red Kings, disappears, and then reappears between two black Kings in the center of the deck.
• Flight For Three / Edward Marlo: Three selected cards are placed between four Aces and then suddenly disappear. These selections reappear between four face-up Queens in the middle of the deck.
• Further Flight / Edward Marlo: Four men (Kings), married to four women (Queens), live in different parts of the city....

Effect: The magician, demonstrating remarkable foresight and confidence in his abilities, cuts to the exact poker hand revealed by a secret prediction after the spectator shuffles the deck.

For those seeking a more realistic version of the classic 10-card poker demonstration, this presentation offers enhanced credibility and realism. The spectator thoroughly shuffles the deck both before and during the demonstration. The spectator cuts the deck taking the card he cuts to. Magician does the same. This is repeated until both have 5 cards that form a poker hand.

The demonstration concludes...