Thinking outside the Erdnase box- To Get Sight of a Selected Card

Before I get into the nitty gritty on this topic, I’d like you to read this excerpt and visualize the move.

“have it (the card) inserted at the end and prevent the spectator from pushing it quite home by squeezing the deck. Then, with the card protruding about a quarter of an inch. covertly turn the deck: partially over by passing it to the other hand, and get sight of the index.”

Play with it for a while, hopefully you haven’t already seen anyone perform this move and you can establish your own interpretation.

Are you done? Okay, get ready to have your mind blown.

The general consensus is with the card partially protruding, the deck is gripped by the short end farthest from the performer by the right hand and turned end for end, so the deck is face up in the left hand. The index is then glimpsed and the card is pushed flush with the thumb of the right hand.

There’s three reasons I don’t think this is the correct interpretation of Erdnase:

A) Erdnase uses the word covertly. By performing the move this way, you are doing the opposite and openly turning the deck over.

B) Erdnase instructs to turn the deck partially, not completely, over

C) Erdnase says the cards are passed to the other

(right) hand, and in the aforementioned method, the deck stays in the left.

Okay so now we’re back on square one. How do you turn the deck over covertly without being incredibly obvious? I toyed with it for a while and came up with this solution:

The deck is in the left hand, with the same hand positioning of the DPS, with the card protruding about half an inch. In passing the deck to the right hand, the left hand starts turning palm down but stops when the deck is perpendicular to the ground, back of the cards facing right and the long side facing the performer. With the right hand grasp the sides of the deck in the following manner: Right thumb on bottom of the side facing performer, second finger grasping the opposite side (next to the left pinky) and forefinger curled on top, nail against the top card. Here comes the sneaky move:

Bend the cards by applying pressure inwards with both hands. This will allow the performer to “covertly” glimpse a sight of the index of the protruding card. (see image)

You obviously don't want to be in this position long, so as soon as you spot the index the left hand releases its grip and the right hand turns the face of the deck towards the audience. I justify this by explaining that I want to push the card flush as fairly as possible with all angles visible to the spectator to “prove” there is no funny business. I position my right pinky on the short end of the deck closest to the ground and push the card flush with my right forefinger. If you have small hands though, you could just tap the card flush with the left hand. Try it out, it's bold but it works!

Things magicians should never do

1. Spring the cards from hand to hand in a crowded elevator

2. Keep a deck in the bathroom (it’s creepy and every time you shower it will destroy the deck)

3. Try to perform a trick while smoking (you can only do so much in a single breath, and passing out is never a good kicker)

4. Play with cards in the bed when your spouse is trying to sleep (especially a riffle pass)

5. Do a torn and restored card trick with someones souvenir playing cards

Updated Links

Just added a bunch of links for you to check out that I frequent. They are listed to the right. Enjoy!

Erdnase was a swinger?

Topic of the day is Blind Cuts- To Retain Bottom Stock- Top Losing One Card

There has been a lot of debate on this technique, and many have dismissed it as obsolete in it’s entirety. I’d just like you to give it a fair shake before tossing it curbside.

The picture is what kills the technique. It’s easy to look at the figure and think this cut is garbage.

Now, Erdnase says to raise the deck “slightly” off the table. Seeing the figure we would assume that it’s several inches, but let’s try focusing more on the text as oppose to Marshall D Smith's interpretation of a millisecond in time. How much does slightly mean? Erdnase is specific to 1/8 of an inch in other parts of the book (who can tell me where?) so hypothetically we could even assume he means less then that, to the point where being specific isn’t practical.

Just something to think about, let’s get into the meat and potatoes of this post.

What I want you to think about is the following line:

“Immediately drop the left-hand packet on the table and bring the right-hand packet down on top with a slight swing”

What does Erdnase mean by swing? Does he mean just slapping the packet on top? What direction should the packet be swung? Realistically that could make a big difference in covering the action of the left hand, even if it is a foot off the table.

Some different swings:

Notes on Telekinesis

1. Definitions

A. Parapsychology- is a controversial discipline that seeks to investigate the existence and causes of psychic abilities.

(1) Telekinesis comes from Greek, tele meaning ‘distant’ and kinesis meaning ‘motion’

(2) Psychokinesis also comes from Greek, psycho meaning ‘mind’ and kinesis meaning ‘motion’

2. Famous individuals claiming to have these abilities

A. Uri Geller

(1) Used Psychokinesis (PK) demonstrations to convince individuals and governments in the 70’s he had the ability to manipulate small objects using the power of his mind. Exposed by the great James Randi in his book, 'The Truth about Uri Geller'

B. Nina Kulagina

(1) Alleged Soviet psychic of the late 1960s and early 1970s, she was apparently successful in repeating psychokinetic phenomena under controlled conditions of the soviet government

C. Felicia Parise

(1) an American medical laboratory technician who allegedly was able to repeatedly demonstrate telekinetic movement of small objects beginning in the 1970s, in the first reported instance spontaneously, and then with practice by intense conscious intention.

D. James Hydrick

(1) an American self-described psychic. Hydrick claimed to be able to perform acts of telekinesis, such as his trademark trick involving the movement of a pencil resting at the edge of a table. Following a nationally televised demonstration of his abilities, he was unable to prove his supernatural abilities, and Hydrick subsequently confessed the fraud to an investigative reporter. Also exposed by the great James Randi on television

E. Eusapia Palladino

(1) An Italian medium who allegedly could cause objects to move during seances in the early 1900s.

3. Common Methods

A. Invisible thread (what I use on the car in the above video)

(1) A very thin string, usually elastic, is attached to the performer and allows apparent distant control of small items. The thread is stretched between the hands, attached to the clothing, or even the eyeglasses of the performer

(a) Expected technique used by Nina Kulagina and Felicia Parise to manipulate small objects

B. Magnets (what I use on the cigarette pack in the above video)

(1) A magnet is attached to the performer and when brought close to the object, the attraction or repulsion of the magnet has an effect on the prepared item. Magnets are generally attached to the performers thumb via false finger tip, the wrist, or the knee.

(a) Technique used by Uri Geller to manipulate the dial of a compass

C. Manipulating the Surface (what I use on the bottle cap in the above video)

(1) The working surface on which the objects is on is manipulated. This can be achieved by moving or lifting the table, or sliding the table cloth

(a) Expected technique used by Eusapia Palladino

D. Air Current (what I use on the pencil in the above video)

(1) The object(s) is positioned in such a way, or is light enough in weight, to where the human breath or current of air can cause otherwise unexplained movement

(a) Technique used by James Hydrick

E. Other (what I use on the pen in the above video)

1. Some other, naturally occurring scientific event is taking place

(a) Convection

(1) The movement of molecules within liquids, gases and rheids (as in a Psi Wheel demonstration)

(b) Static Electricity

(2) The buildup of electric charge on the surface of objects