Cards in Magic & Mentalism: page 45

Should a Mentalist use playing cards?

Good question and one which has been raging among Mentalists since Annemann was still going strong. In this book Scott has addressed that question and put together some of his favourite Mentalism card routines, covering effects with borrowed decks, stacked decks and gaffed decks.

You'll find no knuckle busting sleight of hand here; instead Scott has included some of his own routines taken straight from his professional mentalism repertoire, many of which no other magicians have seen until now. Some of the ideas are based on old effects given a new twist, but...

The magician attempts to find the spectator chosen card under impossible conditions. In the end, he also manages to find the four aces. Everything is done with a normal deck of cards. Requires minimal sleight-of-hand.

1st edition 2022, video 12:52

You show four double backer cards, one of which has a big black spot painted on it. You again show the cards and suddenly the card has actually a big black hole and the remaining three cards are double backers as before.

1st edition 2021, video 2 min.

You show four Eight of Diamonds. On one you draw a large X and you ask the spectator to follow it. You turn the cards face-down, and after some mixing, you table the cards one after each other face-down. When you turn the cards face-up they have all changed to aces. The eights including the one with the cross on it have vanished.

1st edition 2024, video 3:30

The original trick, first released by Devin Knight in 1972 and long off the market. It is available again, after being one of his most popular effects during a recent lecture tour. You show a deck of cards and have a lady freely select a card. There is no force. The lady may sign the card if you wish. The card is returned to the deck and lost.

You tell the lady that you will give her magical powers and that she will find her card with magic. This always intrigues the lady you are performing it for. You ask the lady to blow a kiss toward the deck. The deck is spread and an image of a kiss...

This is a 1-x-x count developed by Canadian magician Norman Houghton around 1955 and popularized by Brother John Hamman. You repeatedly show the same card while tabling the others one by one. Very easy to do, but perhaps not that deceptive. Allan shares a nice touch to make this count quite a bit more deceptive.

runtime: 1min 40s

The spectator shuffles the deck and freely cuts it into four packets. When you turn over the top cards they can be anything you like it to be (the four aces, a royal flush, ...). (Also part of Move Mastery 3.)

runtime: 6min 24s

A spectator card is floating over the deck instantly. This effect was inspired by several classic versions from different magicians but this one uses a different gimmick. Easy to create. Easy to perform. Requires some arts and crafts to construct the gimmick.

1st edition 2022, video 23:45.

Here is the effect: a spectator has a packet of 5 cards. For argument's sake, let's assume the five cards used are simply numbered 1-5 (the actual make up of the cards is up to your imagination). The spectator goes through a procedure in which cards are turned face up, face down, left as they are, the packet is cut, some-times the spectator decides whether the cards are turned over or not, sometimes the performer decides. But in the end, no matter who made the decisions, or which decisions were made, only the center card is face up and it is the 4. Not only that, but no matter what decisions...

A very direct divination and prediction effect with two selected cards.

Two spectators freely cut to two cards. Both selections are remembered and buried into the deck. The magician points to a pair of odd-backed cards (on the table from the start) before he correctly guesses the identity of each selection and to which spectator they belong to. Finally, he turns over the pair of cards: They are a perfect match.

Easy to do. Instant reset. Can be performed before or after any other card trick. At the beginning, the spectators can freely shuffle and inspect the deck. Uses regular cards with...

A spectator-selected card turns face-up in the deck.

Have a spectator freely select a card from a deck. There is no force. The spectator remembers the card. The magician inserts the card into the deck. When the deck is fanned the card has turned face-up (or face-down if you are showing the deck from faces.)

You will need to be able to do a half-pass. A short card helps in the sleight-of-hand proceedings.

1st edition 2023, video 13:38

"Flat Pack packs quite a punch!" - Stephen Tucker

"Flat Pack is cool as Ice. Love it!" - Tony Chris

Inspired by David Regal's "Sudden Deck" and Stephen Tucker's "Tardis Deck".

You display an unfolded card box, and clearly show it inside and out. You then proceed to fold it up, snap your fingers and slide a full deck of cards out of the box! It's that simple. It's that effective.

Flat Pack is great for close-up as well as stand-up work. It's super easy to make, and the angles are great.

1st edition 2014, length 20 min.

A matrix effect using playing cards instead of coins. A simplified and better version of Albert Goshman's classic cards through the newspaper (Genii vol. 30, June 1966).

1st edition 2019, 4 pages + videos.

From the introduction by David Jones:

The five easy "pieces" in this manuscript are relatively easy to do. The important aspect, however, is how they are combined. The tricks are not the tricky part. They can be broken down into basic, understandable action steps. Or, to put it another way, tricks are to magic books as recipes are to cook books. One should not then equate plans, schemes, or sets of instructions with hale and hearty presentations. This is the reason the extended presentation in this manuscript surpasses mere exposition. Besides explaining the action steps of five otherwise grab-bag tricks, it reveals how they have...

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...

Five awesome card tricks using a completely normal deck!

IN YOUR FACE TRANSPO -- An Ace of Spades trapped between two Jacks transposes with a selection. Super clean!

ALL THREE KINGS (with John Guastaferro) -- A four of a kind revelation that happens completely in the spectator's hands!

RED HOT ANNIVERSARY -- Red Hot Mama meets Anniversary Waltz. Totally impromptu!

COLLECTION KICKER -- A clean "Collectors" routine with a great kicker ending.

SLEIGHTLESS SIGHTLESS -- Mind reading, clarivoyence and precognition rolled into one amazing effect!

Five Alive is a PDF which includes...

"I really enjoyed this ebook... Highly recommended!" - Raphael Czaja

"Beyond amazing!" - Andrew Galanter

John Gelasi is back with six more commerical, fun card routines featuring the 4 kings.

Fit for Kings, Too is the sequel to John's first ever release, Fit for Kings. Once again, all of these effects are easy and hard hitting, yet all are done with just a regular deck of cards.

Routines included:

Uproarious: Four Jokers change into four kings one-by-one. One king is set aside, and the other kings are transformed into the cards to complete a royal flush.

Hofzinser with a Twist: Four kings and a selected card....

"John's enthusiasm for card magic shines throughout this material, 'Daley + 2' is a gem" - Paul Hallas

"These routines are a lot of fun and very commercial!" - Cameron Francis

In his first major ebook project, John Gelasi presents five fantastic, super-commercial card routines all featuring the four kings and using a regular deck of cards.

With just a little setup, you'll be performing strong, easy-to-do card effects. Some are even totally impromptu, and can be performed completely at a moment's notice! Having trouble finding impromptu effects that you actually want to perform? Look no further. All five...

Here are twelve remarkable card tricks invented and performed by Stewart James in Canada, England and the U.S. So many magicians asked to learn these tricks that Stewart decided to reveal them for the first time in this book. Most all of his card magic is done without difficult sleights or trick cards, using subtlety instead.

CONTENTS:

MIKE AND IKE: — The famous look-alike detectives capture a gang of criminals and identify their leader. A spectator (witness) doesn't tell how the sleuths are disguised until the case is closed.

SEVEN WONDERS — No preparation is necessary to illustrate...

An amazing 12 card revelation routine. This routine is almost an entire act - you reveal 12 selected cards in an explosion of magic and with a crescendo demonstration of sleight-of-hand. A real "reputation maker"! Use any deck of cards.

1st edition 2004; 18 pages.

A clever application of Fandango.

The visual appearance of a thought-of word that will knock your sox off! Young Kyle MacNeill has been forging a reputation for himself as a clever and enthusiastic card magician. At just 14 years of age, his approach and dedication to our art is so heart-warming. Here is a young man who cares about the details, the history, and the integrity of our art. We were amazed to receive this application of Fandango from Kyle. It firmly displays an understanding of our craft far beyond his meager years. With people like Kyle, the future is in good hands.

EFFECT: A spectator initials...

The system of the Marlo Definite Fingertip Control explained in all its ramifications and ideas.

1st edition 1956, 1st digital edition 2013, 24 pages.

This is similar to a riffle force but in fingertip control position. You riffle while the spectator says stop.

runtime: 1min 8s