Cards in Magic & Mentalism: page 50

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...

Want a sock finish for your favorite ambitious card routine? Here it is. The object card is always handled by two indifferent cards. A perfect effect to add "medical" themed patter to your routine.

[Cover photo credit: Louis Sahuc]

1st edition 2025, video 40s.

Five lovely small packet routines involving apples from Stephen Tucker, Per Clausen, and Shiv Duggal.

The last routine plays off the 'Apple' computer angle. With Apple Inc. having made such a meteoric rise, with many having Apple computers or phones, this routine would probably play even better today than it did during the 1980s. Some changes in the patter will be necessary, but the general idea has merit.

The booklet came originally with six custom cards showing apples and an apple core, some with blank backs, some with regular backs. These cards are not included with this download, 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

Compelling evidence of other-worldly existence as demonstrated with pasteboards.

I never believed in flying saucers ... that is, not until that fateful night in 2003. You may remember it. That's the night the power went out from the northeast to the midwest, and even left parts of Canada in the dark. Sunspots? Tree branches? Human error? You might think you know the cause, but I know. Because I was there when it all went down.

And so begins this extraordinary card miracle that'll have your spectators believing in UFOs and extra-terrestrials.

A borrowed deck is shuffled and a spectator...

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.

Two Jokers produce two Aces in the middle, and finally, the Jokers transform into the remaining two Aces. A classic effect with a unique and visual handling. Complete performance in the video.

Performance transcript:

• For this next trick you need two cards.
• Between two cards there's nothing there.
• 3 2 1 discover
• There is an extra ace in the middle of the two ghost cards.
• Two ghost cards.
• OK.
• Continue 3 2 1
• Converted the second a
• These two cards, shake them a little bit.
• You will find these two ghost cards.
• It automatically becomes the other two A's.

1st edition 2025,...

The spectator selects a card and returns it to the deck. The spectator cuts off a packet, then the performer deals left and right. Four consecutive times the dealt cards are not the selection, yet each one precisely names an attribute of the chosen card, and after the elimination, the final remaining card is the original selection. Even more, when the four piles are turned face up, together with the selection they form a Royal Flush.

During the spectator's cut, there is no crimp and no extra handling, yet the selection and the key cards can still be located with precision.

Performance...

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...