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"Outs" Precautions and Challenges
by Charles H. Hopkins

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(2 reviews, 20 customer ratings) ★★★★

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"Outs" Precautions and Challenges by Charles H. Hopkins

This is truly a hidden gem - a lost treasure. Very few know of its existence and you will encounter almost no references to it. When you read this you will ask yourself: "Why isn't this work known by every cardician?" Some of those who have read it value it as much as they value Erdnase. Others would not trade all card books published in the last 10 years for it.

It is an immensely practical work dealing with situations when something goes wrong, or you face difficult spectators. You'll never again be afraid to try out a new trick, even if they literally see what you do, even if they really catch you, you can finish successfully, entertainingly, and leave them baffled.

It is divided into three parts

  • Outs - what to do when things go wrong
  • Precautions - avoiding disasters by forethought
  • Challenges - dealing with spectators that challenge you
If you study this ebook you will never need to be worried that one of your card tricks fails, or a spectator messes it up. You will be prepared for any situation. No problems anymore...ever!

This is a resource every magician, beginner or advanced, pro or amateur, skilled or unskilled, can use to his advantage. On the surface it deals with card magic, but many of the ideas and a lot of the information contained does apply across the spectrum of magic from close-up to stage.

1st edition 1940; original 80 pages; PDF 57 pages.

  1. PREFACE...
  2. Contents
  3. Introduction
  4. - When Asked To Do The Impossible
  5. - School Yourself For All Emergencies
  6. - Experience Still the Best Teacher

    PART I: "OUTS"

  7. Chapter 1 - Facing The Music
  8. Whose Fault When Things Go Wrong?
  9. The Psychology of Failure
  10. Use of "Sucker Gag" Technique

  11. Chapter 2 - Organizing For Victory
  12. Secret And Open Outs
  13. When Error Is Still Under Cover
  14. 1 - Card correctly identified, but slips out of control.
  15. 2 - Identification correct, but placement for climax is wrong.
  16. When Error May Be Visible
  17. 3 - Incorrect identification of selected card.
  18. 4 - Card lost before identification.
  19. 5 - The selector forgets what his card was.
  20. Either You Know You Are Wrong - Or Else . . .

  21. Chapter 3 - Information-Getting Subtleties
  22. This Time You MUST Be Right
  23. Attitudes That Get Co-operation
  24. 6 - When they refuse to tell.
  25. 7 - For the extreme "hold out."
  26. 8 - Use a thumb writer.
  27. 9 - Impression methods.
  28. 10 - Pencil reading.
  29. 11 - Friendly mirrors.
  30. 12 - To meet an absolute refusal to tell.

  31. Chapter 4 - Some Handy Sleights
  32. Old Ideas Brought Up To Date; Also, A Few New Ones
  33. 13 - The "Top Peek."
  34. 14 - Fan Crimp.
  35. 15 - The "Deck Crimp."
  36. 16 - The "Crimp" as a Locator.
  37. 17 - Fan jog.
  38. 18 - The quarter-bridge.
  39. 19 - Gambler's Bridge.
  40. 20 - The "Change" Throw.
  41. Other Useful Standard Sleights.

  42. Chapter 5 - "Outs" To The Rescue
  43. Fit The Weapon To The Needs
  44. Getting Down To Brass Tacks ... And The Selected Card
  45. Quick Switches And Other Fast Closers
  46. 21 - Just a gag.
  47. 22 - Out-in-the-open changes.
  48. 23 - Forced replacement of wrong card.
  49. 24 - Using "locators" for "outs."
  50. Methods For Counting And Spelling Effects
  51. 25 - The "Pilot Card."
  52. 26 - New start from wrong turn-up.
  53. 27 - The "220 Count" as an "out."
  54. "Outs" Productions From Pockets And Other Places
  55. 28 - In performer's pocket.
  56. 29 - Pocket index.
  57. 30 - Card in wallet.
  58. 31 - Use of spectators for "outs."
  59. 32 - The "Eveready Life Saver."
  60. Apparatus Alibis
  61. 33 - When force is missed.
  62. First Aid For Feeble Memories
  63. 34 - Confusion as to suits and values.
  64. 35 - Spectator's mind a complete blank.

    PART II: CHALLENGES

  65. Chapter 6 - Taking On All Comers
  66. "Outs" Compared With Challenges
  67. A Word of Caution

  68. Chapter 7 - Before Card Gets Lost In Shuffle
  69. Try To Keep As Much Control As Possible
  70. 36 - Controlled returns.
  71. 37 - Use of "Locators."
  72. 38 - The "Gimmicked Cut."
  73. 39 - The "Cut Break."
  74. 40 - Estimating the cut.
  75. 41 - The "Cut Force."
  76. Astonishing Simplicity
  77. 42 - "Blindman's 'Bluff'."
  78. 43 - The "220 Count."
  79. 44 - Pre-Arrangements.

  80. Chapter 8 - When They "Give You The Works"
  81. How "Plenty of Rein" Trips Them
  82. 45 - Look for informal "readers."
  83. 46 - Scrapes and nicks.
  84. 47 - Daubs.
  85. The Magician's Little Helpers
  86. 48 - Secret reflectors.
  87. 49 - Wide and narrow decks.
  88. 50 - The indexed pocket deck again.

  89. Chapter 9 - Bordering On The Mental
  90. When Information-Getting Becomes Ticklish
  91. They Commit Themselves In Writing
  92. 51 - Pencil reading.
  93. 52 - Billet switching.
  94. 53 - Billet index.
  95. 54 - Pad impressions.
  96. 55 - Trick notebooks.
  97. 56 - A "Case of Hambuggery."
  98. A Prophet In His Own Land
  99. 57 - Thumb writers.
  100. Special Decks On Taps
  101. 58 - "Brain Wave Deck."
  102. 59 - "New Era Instanto Deck."

  103. Chapter 10 - Trickery Conquers All
  104. What Makes Audiences Get That Way
  105. Circumstances That Lead Up To Challenges
  106. Specific Handling of Various Situations
  107. The Heckler ... Ding Bust His Buttons!
  108. For The Intelligent Analyst Type
  109. Troubles Arising Out Of Pure Friendship
  110. More To Come? ... Well, Maybe!

word count: 23501 which is equivalent to 94 standard pages of text


Reviewed by Jacob Johnson (confirmed purchase)
★★★★★   Date Added: Saturday 14 September, 2024

This is such a fantastic book! I don't understand why it isn't recommended all the time. This book is absolutely chocked full of useful information.

Reviewed by Peter Vattimo (confirmed purchase)
★★★★★   Date Added: Thursday 16 March, 2023

A "classic" with tips and ideas that may save a performance from failure. I actually purchased the hardcopy many years ago and wanted the PDF version for easy access. Worth more than the purchase price after the info saves you just once !!! Add to that, sleights/forces/controls are taught which may be used in multiple effects. If you use cards, this will be of benefit.