Search Results

Beautiful close up magic by Jon Racherbaumer, John Cornelius, Roger Klause, Ed Marlo, Jim Hunter, Steve Draun, Eddie Adams, Lee Fried, Chuck Smith, Phil Goldstein, Tom Mullica, and Simon Aronson. Here is magic that is unique and that you will not see in other books. The ebook is divided into chapters on Coins, Cards, Linking Pins, Mental Magic, and Diversions. You will find such unusual items as Marlo's complete presentation of the Color Vision box, Racherbaumer's close up Miser's Dream, Marlo work on Linking Pins, Cornelius' Coins thru Table, Mullica's version of Jarrow's Cig thru Hanky, and more. The section on card magic (mostly Marlo...

Unpacking Dai Vernon's Pact

When Vernon's trick appeared, its puzzling aspect centers on the fact that the spectator chooses one of three cards and the one chosen changes into his selection. In other words, the spectator is permitted to make two decisions. He selects any card. Then he selects one-of-three cards, which changes into his selection. It is essentially a quickie.

• Introduction
• 1, 2, 3 Dai Vernon
• RECOUNTING ON 1-2-3 Dai Vernon
• LASSO-DOE-TRE Edward Marlo
• THE PROMISE II Edward Marlo
• STICKY ACE, DEUCE OR THREE Dave Solomon
• STICKING TO THE PROMISE Jon Racherbaumer
• ISOLATED 3-2-1 Jon Racherbaumer
• 1-2-3 INFINITY Jon Racherbaumer ...

A survey of the seven-card assembly.

This ebook is a survey of the Seven-Card Assembly, a subcategory of Ace Assembly. Its name due to the number (7) of principal cards used, which makes it different from other Ace Assemblies. Standard versions use sixteen cards - four Aces and twelve X-cards - and when the preliminary layout is made, the Aces are dealt into a T-formation and three X-cards are placed onto each Ace. In a Seven-Card Assembly three X-cards are added onto only three of the Aces. The Leader Ace lies alone. This reduces the duration it takes to set the stage. Then the four Aces...

Jon loves to collect, compare, and organize tricks into themes and plots. This is his latest work on the piano trick.

WHAT IS THE PIANO TRICK?

A spectator places his hands palm down on the table in the same way a pianist places his hands on a keyboard. Then pairs of cards are placed between the spectator's fingers to set the stage. These pairs are then fairly removed to form two equal piles. An extra or "odd" card is added to one of the piles. Then, without any further movements or fanfare, the "odd" card inexplicably travels to the other pile.

• Introduction
• At The Beginning
• Thoughts...

The ultimate compilation of 21-card trick routines: rigged, reconsidered, and retro-fitted.

A who's-who of card experts has put their minds and creativity to the plot of the 21-card trick. You will find greats like Peter Duffie and Chris Kenner, legends like Marlo, Maven and Allerton, pros like Cervon and Aronson, and many more.

• Prologue
• Foreword (Jack Parker)
• Introduction (Jon Racherbaumer)
• PROTYPE
  • Old Gray Model
  • Distribution of the Cards in the 21-Card Trick
• STREAMLINERS
  • Streamliner (Bert Allerton)
  • 21-Card Trick Streamlined (Edward Marlo)
  • 21 Plus Subtlety (Edward Marlo)
  • Swindle 21-Card Trick...

This compilation, like my others, my goal is to discover the "bits and pieces" and in this particular case, to partially answer how and why The Lazy Man's Card Trick came into being?

• A Few Words Before You Begin
• Introduction
  • An Inauspicious Beginning
  • Origin Story: The Seed
  • The Row of Ten Cards (S. W. Erdnase)
  • About the Supposed Operative Principle
  • Ziska's Incomprehensible Card Effect
  • Incomprehensible Divination (Hilliard)
  • Who Was Ziska?
• A Morphing Begins
  • That Number Down (Doc Miller)
  • The Traveling Card (Jack Miller)
  • A Lazy Man Does a Card Trick (Al Koran)
  • Lazy Man's Card Trick (Harry Lorayne)
• The Plot Resurfaces...

Offbeat alternatives of the Three-Card Motif

This compilation makes a distinction between the well-known Three-Card Monte wagering game, and motifs using three principal cards in different ways. All of the motifs challenge a spectator's ability to follow the actions to keep track of certain principal cards as they are physically moved around.

In some of the motifs, the principal cards are moved by the spectator while the performer's back is turned. Then, sight unseen, the performer is able to ascertain the location of a card previously designated as the "money card."

In other motifs...

Racherbaumer, a man of words - sometimes strong words, sometimes exotic words, sometimes provocative words, sometimes strange words - but always thoughtful and worth reading, wrote a two year column in The Greater Son of the Bat Jr. journal (S.O.B.jr.). All 24 installments of this column are collected here. You will find a lot of Marlo-vian talk, good tricks and interesting articles. I was not a magician in the late 70s, so I cannot say how it was back then in the 'good old times', but reading Sticks and Stones allowed me to imagine how - I am sure - it must have been.

• EFFECTS ALPHABETICALLY ...

[Note: Despite all the rumors the cover does not show Jon in his younger years.]

This is an ebook about moves, card moves to be precise. If you are already familiar with the basics of card magic then you will find here a lot of advanced moves and concepts to significantly improve your magic. If you are an experienced veteran of card magic you will probably still find some moves you are unfamiliar with. It is also a great reference ebook to have in case you run one day into any of these moves. The moves are described in text and photos with references and sources in the usually meticulous Racherbaumer style.

• Adding To Vernon (Jon Racherbaumer)
• The Altman Trap (Art...

• Last Card to Laugh (Jon Racherbaumer)
• Sounds of Silence?
• Face Value?
• Elevated Elevator (Edward Marlo, Frank Garcia)
• Shiner Notes (Files of Jon Racherbaumer)
• Remembrance of Things Passed (Jon Racherbaumer)
• About a Procedure for the Clock Trick (Jon Racherbaumer)
• The Cardini Control (Jon Racherbaumer)
• Niggling Narrativity (Jon Racherbaumer)
• New-And-Clear Force (Jon Racherbaumer)
• Bare-Faced Boys With Decks In Hand (Jon Racherbaumer)
• Impromptu Casino Shuffle (Gene Castillon)
• Notes on Peek Decks
• Marlo's Spread Lift (Edward Marlo)
• Magic: On the Edge: Trick-Soup For Dummies? (Jon Racherbaumer)
• Constructive Criticism ...

This manuscript explores hybrids of the Jonah Card Principle. Beyond that it hopes to draw attention to this fascinating motif and perhaps inspire further research and development.

• THE FOUR QUEENS (Bill Simon)
• MEN FROM THE BOYS (Colm Mulcahy - Bill Simon)
• ODD YET PREDICTABLE (Jon Racherbaumer)
• SPIN-OFFS of WINKLER'S COIN PUZZLE
• NO-JONAH POKER (Jon Racherbaumer)
• (LOSING) END POKER (Jon Racherbaumer)
• OUROBOROS (Jack Parker)
• DOUBLE PREDICTION JONAH POKER (Jon Racherbaumer)
• STRONG CIDER (Edward Marlo - Jon Racherbaumer)
• THE JONAH IN THE HARRY'S POCKET (Jon Racherbaumer)
• EMPOWERING POKER A BIT MORE (Jon...

Impromptu Effects

• One Fantastic Move (Edward Marlo)
• The Joker Reads Minds (Edward Marlo)
• One Thru Four Elevator (Dave Solomon)
• You Did It Again! (Edward Marlo)
• You Did It Again And Again! (Edward Marlo)
• Black-Hole Card Switcheroo (Edward Marlo)
• A Way Out (Danny Korem)

• Moving Monte Switch (Chuck Smith)
• Sleeper Shank Shuffle (Edward Marlo)
• The Marnase Change And Vanish (Edward Marlo)
• The Double Erdnase Change (Edward Marlo)
• Darting Double (Jon Racherbaumer)
• Center Double (Jon Racherbaumer)
• Marlo's Swivel Cull (Edward Marlo)
• Snap Pass (Jon Racherbaumer) ...

Every card magician will know the Triumph effect:

The most famous routine is Dai Vernon's "Triumph" originally published in Stars of Magic. However, he probably was influenced by other similar effects that came before. One such routine is Sid Lorraine's "Slop Shuffle".

Jon Racherbaumer will take you through the history of this wonderfully visual effect and will explain and discuss the many...

Controlling a card to the top or to the bottom is the most fundamental technique in card magic. Every card magician should have at least one good method to do that. Consequently many authors use the phrase "control card to the top/bottom with your preferred method" and leave the rest to the reader assuming that everyone already has his or her preferred method. While you might have your favorite method, the search for better ones never stops.

In this ebook Jon Racherbaumer describers several - as he calls them 'finessed' methods - to control a card to the top or to the bottom. You should find...

The oil and water effect is a classic of card magic, some love it, some hate it. If one has ever seen Rene Lavand do it slow motion with one hand you probably love it. But there is only one Rene Lavand. Some say the effect of red and black cards separating is rather weak, until Roy Walton added a kicker in 1969 where half the cards change to Queens. Dave Bendix tweaked Walton’s handling. Bob Stencil and Terry LaGerold devised a narrative that logically excused the surprise appearance of the Queens. Jon Racherbaumer and Jeff Busby independently expanded the kicker to not only change half the cards but...

• Introduction
• Contributors
• The Hamman Twist (Brother John Hamman)
• Krenzel's Tunnel Change (Ken Krenzel)
• Dingle's Tunnel Change (Derek Dingle)
• No Force Vanish & Recovery (Jon Racherbaumer)
• Off-Sho Ot (Jon Racherbaumer)
• Jump-Jump Aces (Edward Marlo)
• The 999 Miracle (Edward Marlo)
• Pineapple Twist (Bruce Cervon - Dai Vernon)
• Sober Slop Poker (Edward Marlo)
• Breakless Curry Change (Edward Marlo)
• The Four Ace ... Er ... Queen Trick (Edward Marlo)
• Flash Sandwich (Jon Racherbaumer)
• Fair On All Points (Edward Marlo)
• The Missing Hour (Edward Marlo)
• The Viet Nam Trick (Bruce Cervon - Dai Vernon)
• A Quickie (Edward Marlo)
• Exhibitionism (Edward Marlo) ...

On the Clock Effect

The clock effect/principle is a variant of the automatic placement principle. It allows you to force a card. The procedure typically is that the spectator freely selects any full hour on the clock (1-12). Cards are then dealt into a clock pattern where one card takes the place of each hour. The card at the spectator's freely chosen hour is the force card, which for example could have been predicted beforehand.

The Clock Effect using playing cards originated at the turn of the century. Potter's Index subsequently listed thirty-eight (38) references—one of the earliest...

This manuscript is a compilation of methods in order to identify and track its history. In the process, it hopes to show how a given trick evolves, sometimes devolves, and ultimately reflects the periods of time this process has occurred.

The trick in this case is the "Red-Hot Mama" or "The Chicago Opener," a presentation that has been around for almost 60 years and has been a useful, dependable and enduring workhorse.

In its basic form it is an effect where a card is selected. Its back changes color and is set aside. A second card is selected, lost in the deck, and the initial selection...

From the Preface:

While we all intuitively understand what time is, even a child can tell you what time it is, it is a hard concept to fully understand from a scientific point of view. It is hard to define, and wrap your head around. That is part of the intrigue of making it the topic of a magic effect. Particularly for an interested and sophisticated audience it can be a very effective plot line. Jon Racherbaumer explores how magicians have made use of it over the decades, and he has unearthed some remarkable gems.

• Preface
• Foreword
• An Unusual Plot Emerges
  • The Charmed Watch
  • Charles Wicks
• Precursors ...

Several decades ago Bob Hummer invented a new principle which caused a short-lived stir among cardicians. The effect was called "The Mindreader's Dream". It sounds too good to be true: A spectator merely thinks of a card and performs a few, unseen dealing procedures with a deck of cards. The magician briefly scans the cards, consults a "dream book," and then names the mentally selected card.

Racherbaumer collects in this ebook several improvements and variations on this basic principle, including the original Hummer method. The contributors are an eclectic group of specialists including Justin Higham,...

Even though the small packet card trick goes at least back to Hofzinser's times Jon argues that the modern small packet trick started in the 1940s when the Buckle Count was introduced by Dai Vernon and got into full swing when the Ghost Count (Elmsley Count) entered the stage.

Jon writes:

The five techniques explained in this treatise are directly or tangentially inspired by Ed Marlo’s An Updated Force (1987).

Techniques taught are:

• An Updated Force (Ed Marlo)
• Piffle Force (Jon Racherbaumer)
• Balm-Applied Riffle Force (Steve Reynolds)
• Drop-Block Riffle Force (Jon Racherbaumer)
• Slip-Less Clip Force (Jon Racherbaumer)

1st edition 2009; 20 pages photo illustrated

• A WHIM-WHAM WARM-UP: Warmed Over Rhetoric
• KINDS OF PERMUTATIONS
• FIRST PERMUTATION: HUMMA-HUMMA-HUMMER
• SECOND PERMUTATION
• PERMUTATION THREE: VALUE-SUIT, SUIT-VALUE (Jon Racherbaumer)
• PERMUTATION FOUR: WHY IS THIS ODD CARD SO QUEER? (Jon Racherbaumer)
• PEMUTATION FIVE: THE LAST GAME (David Britland)
• PERMUTATION SIX: BILE AND BLOOD (Jon Racherbaumer)
• PERMUTATION SEVEN: PURIST CARD PUZZLE (Edward Marlo)
• PERMUTATION EIGHT: MR. FOGG TRACKED DOWN (Steve Reynolds)

1st edition 2013, 49 pages.