Gaffed in Cards

This is the third (and probably last) open prediction effect that I'm publishing. The other two that I've already published are called Open Prediction: A New Approach to a Classic Plot and Open Prediction: The Simplest Approach. I call this one Open Prediction: The Best Approach because, of the three, it is the strongest one (at least in my opinion).

Imagine:

The magician introduces a deck of cards - he spreads it to show that all the cards are different, and then hands it to the spectator. At this point, the magician openly predicts a card by naming it out loud.

The spectator is invited to cut off any number of cards and to flip them face-up on top of the rest of...

Four aces vanish in a pile of blank cards, only to magically reappear.

1st edition 2025, video 4:15

Effect: The spectator chooses cards based on their vacation preferences (Hawaii or The Alps - Red or White Wine - Tour or Show) and eliminates other cards until only one card remains, becoming the spectator's chosen card, aka their travel companion. A hidden prediction correctly identifies the selected card, which is the only blank card in the deck and the spectator's three vacation choices. This effect is achieved without psychological forces.

This effect has an emotional appeal to the spectator, as they make choices about their fantasy vacation. Strong enough to be your closure.

You start by showing one joker and several blank cards, which are blank on both sides. Adding the joker to the blank cards makes them all become jokers on their faces. Then you do the same with the backs and end up with a pack of jokers. The blank cards have changed to jokers.

1st edition 2025, video 3:27.

You show one card with a big hole cut from its center and four regular cards without any holes. When you remove one from the regular cards and add the hole card to the others, they all suddenly also have big holes. Then you reverse it back to no holes. It uses a sneaky combination of methods.

1st edition 2025, video 4:24

You show four cards from the backs. Turning one face up, say the seven of hearts, will magically turn all cards face-up - they are all sevens. You turn them all back face-down. Suddenly they change to the four jacks.

1st edition 2025, video 5:02

I have already published an open prediction effect called Open Prediction: A New Approach to a Classic Plot. Here I am publishing a different open prediction method of mine. I call this one Open Prediction: The Simplest Approach because the method is extremely simple, yet, despite that, it produces the ideal effect from a lay person's point of view. Also, despite the simplicity of the method, it is previously unpublished as far as I'm aware.

Below you can see a full performance video by my friend:

1st edition 2025, PDF 7 pages.

A twisting routine that ends with a climax where all four cards have different backs, when before they all had the same backs.

1st edition 2025, video 2:32

A gimmicked card that allows for very visual effects, like a visible three-card monte effect.

The idea of the gimmick traces back to Charles Jordan. Gaetan Bloom took Jordan's idea and by using modern materials made the gimmick a lot better and much easier to use. The original booklet was sold with a gimmick but without detailed instructions on how to make the gimmick. In this first ebook edition, we have included detailed construction instructions. You will learn not just the type of material used, but its thickness (which is a crucial aspect of making the gimmick work properly), the adhesive used, and...

You show seven Aces of Hearts and one odd card, the 10 of Clubs. After mixing these eight cards, you spread the packet face-up on the table, and they are now eight 10 of Clubs. A stunning and very visual immediate change.

1st edition 2025, video 3:16

You show four regular playing cards. Progressively, they change into four cards with a hole cut from the center.

1st edition 2025, video 4:35

You show four cards that have a joker printed on the front and back. Their backs magically change to red backs, and then they change again to all different backs.

1st edition 2025, video 1:54.

The performer shows four cards, two with regular backs and the other two with a square printed on the back. Suddenly, one card that had a square printed on its back now has a big round hole cut from its center. A moment later, two cards have a big round hole cut from their centers.

1st edition 2025, video 2:20.

You show the ace of hearts and diamonds and place them face down on the table. Then you show another set of ace of hearts and diamonds. Then these two cards transform into three cards, for a total of five cards, and they have now changed to a royal flush.

1st edition 2025, video 2:27

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...

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

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.

After shuffling the deck, you put a prediction card face down on the table. After some further shuffling you spread the deck and three cards appear face-up, three tens. You turn over your prediction but it is not the fourth ten but an ace. But don't worry, another fan of the cards and your prediction ace is now the missing ace in a royal flush.

1st edition 2025, video 3:55.

You show four cards from their back. A magic word and two of them have turned face up, for example, two Jack of Hearts. You turn them back but suddenly two other cards, for example, two 10 of Spades. You turn these face-down and a moment later the four cards have changed into the four aces. A bewildering and fast paced change of cards.

1st edition 2025, video 2:19

You show four cards. They are blank on the front and have regular backs. Suddenly one of the four cards has a huge hole cut from its center. Then all the cards have holes cut from their centers. Then everything goes back to four regular blank cards.

1st edition 2025, video 6:04.

You show four queens of diamonds and perform a twisting the queens type of routine. You turn the packet face down and one by one the queens turn face up. But Peter goes further in his effect. Suddenly all the queens are double-faces and show a queen of diamonds on the front and back of each card.

1st edition 2025, video 3:47.

Two packets, one with four blue-backed aces, and the other with four red-backed kings. Putting one of the aces in the kings pile and one of the kings in the aces pile makes the other cards follow their leaders.

1st edition 2025, video 8:22.

You show four jokers and place them individually on the table. Then you show four 5-of-hearts. By adding jokers to the fives the jokers change to fives. The fives change to jokers and finally, the fives change to the four kings.

1st edition 2024, video 6:53.

You display four 7 of Clubs from the front and from the back. Turning over one of the sevens, they all turn over from face-up to face-down. Suddenly they change into four different sevens, all four suits. It also turns out that they have changed their backs.

1st edition 2024, video 4:07.

You show four blank cards. They become the Jacks with red backs. Then they turn into four aces and finally all the backs have different colors.

1st edition 2024, video 2:44.