VIENNA NOTES

Special Lecture by Steve Beam for Vienna, Austria

May, 1995

magician removes a card from the pack and places it face down
KILLOCATION on the table. 'This cardis the key to the mystery. What is the
nameof your card?" The spectator names his card. "Please
Steve Beam turn that card over." It is not the selection. "As I said earlier,
nobodybut you knew the identityofyour card. But I knewthe
location as indicatedby this card." The magician deals down
Effects in which a volunteer merely thinks of a card and a number of cards equal to the value of the tabled card. The
the magician subsequently locates the selection are among my selected card is at that location.
favorites. This is truly an impossible location. However, since The Work. Take a face up shuffled pack in your right
the method description is long, you may think of this as the hand, holding it from above. Use your right forefinger to
impossible description. Stick with me and you will have a swivel cut the top third of the pack into the palm up left hand
miracle in your hands. In this miracle, the spectator merely as shown in figure 1. Tell the spectator that you want him to
thinks of a card. The magician locates it in a fair and direct think of one of the cards he sees but not to let you know when
manner. he has chosen a card.
Effect. The magician takes a borrowed and shuffled deck Use your left thumb to peel cards into your left hand on
from the shuffler. Turning it face up and holding it from above top of the left hand's packet Peel the cards singly, counting
in his right hand, he starts thumbing cards off from the face of
the pack with his left thumb. One by one he peels about a third
of the pack into the left hand, asking a spectator to mentally
select one of the cards he sees. The cardician instructs the
spectator not to give any sign that he has selected a card.
Closing up the pack and giving it a quick shuffle, the
magician turns the pack face up. "I am going to make your
cardturninvisible. Canyou see your card now?" Of course
the answer is in the negative since the selection is in the middle
of pack. "ThenI guessI havesucceededsinceyou cannotsee
your card. It must be invisible. I can take my applause now
if you wish." The audience realizes that the magician is
probably bluffing.
"Oh.you don't believeme. Allowme to showyou." The
magician fans the pack toward the spectator. The selection is
still in the pack and still visible. "Okay, well I guessyou will
believe me next time, won't you? Otherwise, there won't be
any trick... kinda like now." The magician appears to be Figure I
stalling for time trying to figure out what to do. them to yourself as you go. Injog the sixth card slightly and
"Well.I stilldon't knowtheidentityofyour cardbecause remember it; but do not change the pace as you deal through
you are theonlypersonin the worldwho knowsit. But I don't the pack. The remaining cards, up to a count of fifteen, should
have to know what your card is, only where it is." The be pulled onto the left packet so that they disguise the injogged

PUBLISHED BY TRAPDOOR PRODUCTIONS ©I995 BY STEVEN L. BEAM

1
condition of the sixth card. what he told you, the effect on him is that he saw his card
After you transfer the fifteenth card, "Did you think of somewhere in the middle of the pack.
one of the cards?" This is asked as you drop the right packet If he doesn't say anything during the top five cards,
on top of the left. If the spectator says he didn't select a card, continue until you have spread about a third of the pack. This
simply square up and start again. If he did think of one, you will mean that you will not yet have exposed the middle five
are ready to proceed. possible selections. Ask the spectator, "Have you seen your
Lift up on the injogged card with your right thumb. Lift card?" If he says yes, repeat the question from the last
off all the cards above and including the injogged card. As paragraph to convince him that he hasn't imparted anything
your right hand picks up the upper half, the left thumb rotates to you and then square up the pack. You know his card is one
the left hand's packet face down. You are now in position for of the top five. If he says no, say, "That's because your card
an overhand shuffle. See figure 2. Run five cards from the is invisible."
right packet to the top of the left and throw the balance of the Spread until you spread the middle five card bank.
right packet on top of the left. Continue slowly past these until you have spread a total of
about two thirds of the pack. "Have you seen your card?" If
he says yes, continue spreading quickly through the pack. Act
surprised again that he has seen his card and square the pack.
You know his card is one of the middle five card bank.
If he says no, you know his card is one of the bottom five
cards. You can spread through to the five to confirm. I prefer
to lower the spread as I get to the bottom ten or so cards. I
continue spreading until I have spread through the complete
pack, but he can't see the faces of the last few cards.
"As I said, your card is now invisible. I don't know what
your card is. You are the only one who knows that. But I do
know its location." Cut the deck so that there are two cards of
the five on top and three on the bottom. If his card is among
the top five, simply cut three to the bottom. If it is one of the
bottom cards, cut two to the top. If it is one of the middle stack,
spread through the faces of the cards as if you are trying to
locate the selection. Cut the pack behind the first card to the
rear (left) of the key card. The selection will be one of the three
face cards of the left halfor one of the two rear cards of the right
half. Place the halves on the table and riffle shuffle them
Figure 2 together, ensuring the left halfdrops its bottom three cards first
and the right half drops its top two cards last. No matter which
Here is your current situation. The spectator had a choice situation originally occurred, the selection is now one of the
from a bank of fifteen cards. Five of these are on top and five top two or bottom three cards of the pack.
are on bottom. The remaining five are in the middle, the From here, you have simply to proceed into the overhand
lowermost of these being the key card you are remembering shuffle as explained in issue # 13 of The Trapdoor in a trick
(the sixth card from the bank of fifteen). You must now narrow called Jinxed (I 986). Briefly, note the bottom card of the pack.
the possible locations for the selected card to one of the three Subtract one from its value to arrive at a key number. If the
groups of five. You will do this with patter and actions. bottom card is a five, subtract one for your key, four. If it is a
Turn the pack face up and hold it in the left hand in number larger than a seven, subtract one number from the
dealing position. "Is this your card?" There is a one in fifteen number of letters needed to spell the value. For example, if the
chance that the card on the face is the selection. If it is, you bottom card is a queen, your key would be five letters minus
have located the selection. End the trick here as a miracle. one, or four.
Tell the audience that you will make the selected card Hold the deck in the left hand in position for an overhand
tum invisible. Riffle the pack magically. "Can you see your shuffle. Undercut half the pack, run your key number. Outjog
card? No? Then it must be invisible." Pause for the response the next card as you count one again. Run your key number
and then, "Here. I' 11 show you." Lift up the faces of the pack again starting with this count of one. When you finish the
toward your spectator and slowly start spreading the cards running your key number, drop the remainder of the pack on
from your left hand to your right. If the spectator's card is top of the cards in your left hand. Undercut beneath the outjog
among the top five, you want him to see it. Usually he will let and throw these cards on top of the pack. Square the pack.
you know. You are now set up as you were in Jinxed. Assume the
If he tells you that he saw his card, quickly spread bottom card was a five. You have set it up so that the original
through the pack and act surprised. "You saw your card?" top two cards are in positions five and six from the top. The
The idea here is to convince the spectator that he didn't impart bottom three cards are set up in a positions five, six, and seven
any useable information to you. You should appear that you from the bottom. Spread through the pack to remove the card
only know that the card is somewhere in the pack. By which you will place on the table. Spread from the face and
spreading through the pack and then asking him to confirm remove the card which was originally on the bottom before you
2
 started the shuffle (a five in our example). There is a twenty convinced you have no idea where the card is after it shows up
percent chance (one in five) that this is the selection. Just in unexpectedly when you thought it was gone. In the original,
case it isn't, note the two cards immediately to the left of the the magician asked if the spectator had seen his selection while
five as you remove it See figure 3. Confidently table the five he too was looking at the same cards. That tended to make the
face down and ask for the name of the selected card. narrowing down process more obvious.
Regardless of what card the spectator names, ask him to After devising the surefire solution for knowing the
turn over the tabled card. If it is the selection, take your bows selection was among a certain fifteen cards, I experimented
and act as if that is how you intended to end the trick. If it is with the more risky versions which I use almost exclusively
not the selection, proceed confidently. "As I said. I didn' t now.
know what your card was. but I did know where it was located. The five card out is from issue # 13 ofThe Trapdoor and
This card tells us where." was published asJin.xed. Do not overlook this as it can beused
If he named one of the two cards which was to the left of to reveal one of five cards (for more than five, refer to the issue)
the five when you removed it, hold the pack face up and count at any point when you have the selection narrowed down to
five cards to the table. Either hand him the fifth or the sixth small group. It doubles as a very convincing out.
card, whichever is his selection. If he named a different Killocation was first published in 1993 in Semi-
card (one you did not note) his card is either fifth or sixth from Automatic Card Tricks, Volume One.
the top of the pack. Hold the pack face down and deal five cards
face up to the table. If the fifth card is his, hand it to him
dramatically. If it is not, turn over the sixth card with a flair
and hand it to him for the climax.
THE SHUFFLE
Leftovers. This works probably better than 99% of the Steve Beam
time. It is worth the risk to me for the miracle which results
when it runs smoothly. A few dozen practice tries will help you
to build the confidence necessary to bring it to a successful You will use this shuffle to set up for the effect which
conclusion. follows this one. Openly place four queens into different parts
This is a contingency trick which means that different of the deck and control them to the top using a multiple shift.
events during the trick change subsequent events in the trick. Take the deck in the left hand, ready for an overhand shuffle.
That is, if there card is one of the top five, you handle it Undercut the lower half with the right hand. Outjog the
differently than if you were to find there card was one of the top card with the left thumb. Shuffle off the right hand's half
bottom five. Another example is the ending where you will onto the left. Undercut beneath the outjog, run one card, injog
either have placed their selection on the table or use the tabled the next, and throw the remainder on top.
card to locate the selection. Reposition the pack in the left hand in dealing position,
In a contingency trick, it is important that you always hiding the injogged card. The position of the queens is as
proceed with the next step as if it was what you had intended follows: one on top, one on bottom, two together in the middle
to do all along. If you pause to work out which contingency with the upper one injogged. This shuffle was originally
action you are to take next, you will telegraph your uncertainty published in my Magic The vanishing Art... book in 1978. A
to the spectator. Practice this over and over until you feel one shuffle method by Bill Ryder was later published in The
comfortable with all possible outcomes. It is very simple to Trapdoor.
perform and only uses a simple overhand shuffle to deliver a
miracle.
Background. This is a considerable expansion of Dai
Vernon's Out of Sight --- Out of Mind from Lewis Ganson's QUEEN CHARLIER
More Inner Secrets of Card Magic. In Vernon's effect, the
selection was from a bank of nine cards. A more complex jog Steve Beam
shuffle was used to separate the three distinct groups which
ultimately narrowed the selection down to three cards. A three
card out was used to reveal the selection. There was a thirty Effect. A stunning cutting of the queens performed in the
three percent chance that you would end by double lifting to hands without a table.
show the selection on top of a pile. The Work. Use The Shuffle to control four queens to the
I wanted to change the effect in three ways. First, I following locations: One on top, one on bottom, two in the
wanted a much freer selection process than holding up nine middle with the upper one injogged. The deck is held in the
cards one at a time for a selection. The 15 card selection bank left hand in dealing position. Pick up a fourth fmger break
made possible by the five card out brought this to reality. beneath the injog.
Second, I wanted a surefire ending which left no doubt that I Secretly insert your left third finger into the break.
knew their card while at the same time did not leave me Clamp down on the top of the pack with your left second finger.
holding a two cards as one. Third, I wanted a presentation See figure 1. Now lift up with your third finger while pushing
which disguised the narrowing down of the three groups. By down with your second finger. This will cause the upper half
telling the audience that the selection is invisible, they alert of the packet to twirl into the palm up right hand as shown in
you to where their card is without feeling that they have figure 2.
imparted any information to you at all. In fact, they are more Using your favorite one hand method, flip the top cards
3
Figure 1 Figure 5

Figure2 Figure 6

Figure 3 Figure 7

Figure4 Figure8
of each half face up back onto their respective halves. 1use an you may end the effect here with your fmgers wailing around
action similar to the one just explain to split the two halves. 1 trying to grip the pack.) See figure 2 for the current position.
insert the third fingers of each hand underneath the top cards. As your right hand brings the card over to the pack, curl
Pushing down with the second fingers and up with the third your right fingers in so that the card goes into the Tenkai palm.
fingers causes the top cards to flip over and around the second As the card is taken into the palm, your forefinger is free to
fmgers and fall face up on top. See figures 3 and 4. move around. Take the top card of the lower half of the pack
Reposition both halves in readiness for the Charlier one and pull it forward. Figure 3 shows this position from above.
hand cut as shown in figure S. That is, use the thumbs to lift Pull this card out forward so that it is outjogged about half
up on the inner long edge of each packet. its length. Rest your right arm as you focus on the cards in the
Allow both thumbs to drop half of the cards they are left hand. Release your left thumb's grip on the top half of the
holding into the palms as in the standard one hand cut. Use pack. To everyone's satisfaction, the card you originally
the forefingers to lift the dropped halves up to the thumbs. See showed to them is now outjogged in the pack.
figure 6. SQuareUp. Bring your right hand over the top of the pack
When the forefingers lift the dropped packets up to where and extend your right fingers. Use them to pull the outjogged
they meet the thumbs, move the thumbs and use the forefingers card in about half of the length the card is outjogged. As your
to kick the packets up and over as shown in figure 7. The fingers contact this card, this puts the palmed card directly
finished revelation is shown in figure 8. over the top of the pack. See figure 4 strategically placed
Background. This was originally published in my Magk immediately above this sentence. Release the palmed card
The Vanishing Art book in 1978.

TENKAI CHARLIE
Steve Beam
This versatile move is easy to learn if you don't have small
hands. 1 will describe the move as an ambitious card move.
Afterwards 1 will show you a quick flourish using the move.
If 12:00 is straight ahead, turn to face 10:00. (I don't
know if this makes any difference, but I'm currently standing
in eastern standard time and we are under daylight savings
time.) Hold the pack in the left hand in dealing position. Lift
off the top card and hold it as shown in figure 1 between the
right thumb and first two fingers. Snap this card against the
pack or other solid object which communicates its singularity.
Open the pack with your left thumb by lifting the top half
of the pack up at the far right corner. The pack opens up book
style, hinging on the left long edge. (If you have small hands,
Figure 2

Figure 1 Figure 3
5
 Figure 1
Figure 4

where it will come to rest on top of the pack.

From hereon it's allacting. Relaxyourrightarm to show
thecardstilloutjogged. Bringyourrighthandbackoverto the
pack and pull the jogged card closer to the pack. Pause to
displaytheresults. On the thirdor fourth squaringaction,pull
thecardflushwiththerestof thepack. Snapthetopof thepack
and turn the top card over, revealing the ambitiouscard back
on top.
Background. This was originally published in issue#22
ofTbe Trapdoor. I cameupwiththeabovemoveafter seeing
Bill Wisch perform his control. Rick Johnsson published a
similarmove in Practical Impossibilities. Don Morrisand I
wereat Rick's houseinAsheville beforehe publishedhis book
and I showedhim my move. Hejumped up out of his seat and
said, "That's my move!" I repeated it with him handing me
the card first and fooled him. His started with a double.

Figure 2

OUTON A LIMB
Steve Beam
This is a very visual flourish which can be performed
close-up or on a platform. While the angles may appear
difficulttocover,Icanassureyouthatit meetsmostperforming
situations. Besides, the misdirection is so strong that you
wouldalmost haveto perform it backwards for theaudienceto
see what's happening.
This is basedonT'enkai Charlie. Readthe instructions for
the moveup untilit is timefor the square-up. Afterpretending
to placethe ambitious card in the middleof thepack,allow the
upperhalf to drop onto the balanceof the pack. The apparent
ambitious card remains outjogged for half its length.
You are now going to quicklyreposition the pack in the
left hand. Curl yourfmgers and thumbinon the packas shown
in figure 1. Extend the fingers and thumbas shown in figure Figure 3
6
 immediately below the right elbow . Now, as you quickly square
the upjogged card against the right elbow, use your right thumb
to pop the palmed card into view.
Background. My first experience with this typeofflourish
was in Howard Thurston's 50 Modern Card Tricks. I used
that method with the backpalm for years. Recently Dr. Sawa
of Japan controlled a chosen card into the desired position
using an under the spread control directly into the backpalm.

Figure 4

2. Now curl your left thumb over the right long edge of the pack
as your curl in your left fingers underneath. See figure 3. You
have repositioned the pack in a deep glide position. Note that
the repositioning action described in this paragraph takes
about a second.
Bring your left hand over to your right hand which is
aimed down and forward at a forty-five degree angle from the
floor. Figure 4 shows your view at this point. Push the jogged
card in against your right forearm. Simultaneously, use your
right thumb to flip the palmed card into view at the right
fingertips. This gives the effect that the card that is squared
into the pack is the same card that immediately appears at your Figure 6
right fingertips.
Alternate Handling. You will reposition the deck in a
different manner for this production. Use your left thumb to LIMB LEAD-IN
flip the pack up as you lift your hand up so that the palm faces
to the right. See figure 4.
Steve BeclJn
Lift the right hand to a vertical posi tion as shown in figure
5. Figure 6 shows the left hand positioning the pack I like visual magic which can be performed close-up. This
item fits that description but can also be performed platform.
It is the perfect lead-in to Out on a Limb.It is far easier to leam
than it would appear after reading it or watching it.
For the last fifteen years I have demonstrated several
variations of the rub away card vanish from Expert Card
Technique. One of the variations has been to do the move face
up. Another is to do it on your right leg. By combining the two,
you get a very visual vanish and reappearance of the card. Tum
the card to be used face up on top of the pack. Hold the deck
in your left hand in dealing position.
Lift your right leg up slightly. Bring your left hand over
to the middle of the top of your thigh. Thumb the top card over
to the right. Bring your right hand down immediately above the
face up card. Now you are going todo two things simultaneously.
As your left thumb pulls the top card back flush with the pack,
it also does a wrist tum to keep the top card from being visible
to the audience.
The left hand comes to rest at your left side with the hand
tumedjust enough to keep the card from being visible. Massage
the imaginery card on your right thigh. When ready for the
Figure 5 magic to occur, again you will do two things simultaneously.
7
As your right hand mashes flat on your leg and you extend your
right fingers showing the card has disappeared, your left hand
rotates the top of the deck toward the audience.
This is too much for the mind to follow. They see you
rubbing the card on your leg. A moment later both hands make
a simultaneous gesture and the card is face up on the pack in
the left hand.

PRAYER PRODUCTION
Don Morris

This is a quick production of a selected card. If you lose

a card and need an out, this is a natural.
Control the selection to the top of the pack. Produce any
face down card from the pack in a quick and flashy way without
changing the top card of the pack. While the attention is on
the newly produced card, palm the top card of the pack in your Figure 2
right hand. Table the pack with your right hand as your left For use as an out, assume you have completely lost the
hand reaches over to tum over the visible card. Feign selection. Place any card (or your best guess) face down on
disappointment Pause for the effect to sink in. You have the table. Ask for the name of a card. Spread quickly through
fouled up. the pack looking for the card. When you come to it, cull it out
Tum slightly to your left and bring your two hands the back of the spread and control it to the back of the pack.
together in prayer position as shown in figure 1. "Sometimes Close the spread as if you haven't seen the selection. Point to
I need a little help." You will notice that your left hand is the tabled card. "Well. that must be it. Would you turn it
fairly well hidden from the audience's view. Under cover of over?" As they tum the tabled indifferent card face up, you
your right thumb, move your left thumb over to a position have all the misdirection you need to palm the top card (the
where it can engage the top comer of the palmed card. selection). Finish as above with the prayer production.
Separate your hands slightly so that only your fingertips touch
and the card is held between the fourth fingers of each hand.
Push down on the top edge of the card at the near comer as
shown in figure 2. The card will pivot out as shown in figure
3. By the time it comes to rest, it will have turned almost 180
degrees. This is a very visual and funny production. Ask for
the name of the card. They name their selection. Snap it over
dramatically. "A little help from above never hurts."

Figure 3

Published by Trapdoor Productions

407 Carrington Drive Knightdale, NC 27545

Figure 1
8
 Also, Scott Robinson suggested spreading the pack in a
circular manner rather than in the standard straight line. By
OPENING STAB bringing the top and bottom cards together, youlose the
Steve Beam disguise the relative positions of the "top" and "bottom" of the
pack. This is because a circle has no beginning or end: This
way it is not obvious that the top of the pack is not an ace or a
Effect. A deck is removed from its case. It is not king.
shuffled. Instead, an envelope is removed from the magician's Background. This was originally published in Issue #41
pocket. The envelope is labeled "PREDICTION." The et The Trapdoor (1992). Subsequently, it appeared on
magician asks that the envelope be placed somewhere in the Volume II of Michael Ammar's video, Easy To Master Card
middle of the pack. Miracles (1994).
The magician takes the pack and spreads it face up on the
table. It is in perfect order, except that one card is missing.
Strangely, it is missing from the same place where the
envelope is located. The magician asks that the envelope be Pleasant Under Glass
removed by a spectator and opened and the prediction read.
When the contents of the envelope are removed, it is seen to be Steve Beam
the missing card.
The Work. Take any card from a deck which is in new Effect. A glass is inverted on the close-up mat. A coin
deck order. Place it inside a bank envelope - one as close in is taken in the left hand and pressed into the bottom of the
size to a playing card as you can find. The envelope must be (top of the inverted) glass. The coin instantly appears inside
opaque. On the back of the envelope, write the word the upside down glass.
"Prediction." Place the envelope in your breast pocket with the The Work. Practice is the only thing that will make this
writing toward you. work. It depends on your aim with the Jennings-Gertner Kick
Arrange the rest of the deck in ace to king order, suits in Move. It doesn't have to be perfect, but it does have to be fairly
"CHaSeD" order. Cut the pack at the missing card. That is, accurate.
to restore the pack to its proper sequence, the card in the I use a glass that has straight sides 2.5 inches long (an
envelope would have to be placed on top or bottom of the pack. inch is 2.5 centimeters) and the mouth has a diameter of 1.5
To perform, introduce the pack. Place it face down on the inches. You must have a close-up mat.
table. Bring out the envelope, keeping the writing from the Display the half dollar in your right hand as you invert the
audience. Ask that the envelope be "stabbed" into the middle glass directly in the center of the mat. Pretend to transfer the
of the pack. Square the pack. coin to your left hand, retaining it in your right. Allow the
Pick up the cards and spread from left to right. "Did you right hand to drop palm-down to the mat, about an inch behind
notice the writing on the envelope?" As you say this, the glass. Release the coin so that it falls silently onto the mal.
execute my handling of the Prophecy Move. (This is In the same continuous motion move your hand slightly back
explained in both volumes of my Semi-Automatic Card to the right, positioning the thumb for the kick move.
Tricks, my Magic With No Entertainment Valuenotes. The During theabove process, all emphasis ison the imaginary
original move, which can also be used , is explained in Bill coin at your left fmgertips. Bring the left fingers down on to
Simon's Effective Card Magic.) This turns the envelope over the front edge of the inverted glass and push down slightly.
so that the writing is visible. It also places their card in This causes the glass to tilt forward. At this moment, there is
sequence. It also cuts the pack so that this sequence is in the enough space between the rim of the glass at the rear and the
middle of the deck. (Do you see why Hike this move so much?) table to launch the coin through. Execute the kick move,
They can now read the word "prediction." Square the aiming for the glass. See figure 1. The coin should propel
pack. Stress the fact that they had a free choice where to directly into the glass and stop when it hits the front rim.
place the envelope. They could have placed it deep or shallow Separate both hands to show your hands empty and proceed
in the pack. However, they placed it in one position out of 52. with the rest of your one-coin routine.
"Was there any reason/or choosing that location over the
other 52 possible locations?"
Spread the deck face up on the table in a wide spread.
The place where the card is missing from the sequence is filled
with the envelope. Make a big deal about it. They were able
to locate the position where the card was missing. "pen the
prediction and read it out loud." They do, and they remove
the chosen card.
Leftovers. I refer to "reading the prediction" so I don't
telegraph the climax. One does not normally "read" a
playing card. I also refer to the double effect - so they
appreciate that two things have happened. One, they
mysteriously found the location of the missing card. Secondly,
I predicted it. Figure 1
9
 The Power Link
Stephen Kradolfer
~. Two rubber bands link and unlink. Trust me.
This is worth your while.
The Work. Start with the left band around the first three
fmgers and the thumb of the left hand. The right band is
around the four fingers of the right hand. See figure 1.
Use yourleft fourth finger to hookthe rightbandand pull
it to the left as shown in figure 2. Bring your right forefinger
and thumb down on the left band on either side ofthe piece of
the right band which is being stretched out by the left pinky.
Figure 1
Pushdownon thisstrandwhichstraddlesthe two strandsof the
right band. See figure 3.
Push the left band down far enough to pinch the two
strands of the right band between the right thumb, right
forefinger, and stretched left band as shown in figure 4.
The Link. Pull upward on the pinched bands creating
tensionamong the bands. When you are ready for the link to
occur,release the lowerstrandof the right band. It will spring
out of the pinch with a snap, providing you with a visual and
audible link. Note that the right and left bands will remain
pinchedbetweenthe right thumband forefingerin this manner
for the duration. The position is shown in figure S.
The Display. Slow down now to followwhat is about to
happen. You are still pinching the left band with the right
thumb and forefinger, The area where the strands of the left
bandare pinchedforma "V" shape. The rightband bisects the Figure 2
"V" as it is also pinched between the right thumb and
forefinger,
Before proceeding, place your right second finger over
above the left bandon the spectator's side of the pinched"V".
Now,bringyourrightsecond,third,and fourthfingerstogether
as a unit up through the gap on your side of the "V" as shown
in figure 6. This is the space between the part of the left band
nearest you and the right band which bisects it (still being
pinched by therighthand). The left thumbis holding this loop
open for this reason. Figure 6 shows the right second finger
catching the left band before it joins the right third and fourth
fmgers in curling toward the palm.
As the right fingercurl in to the right palm, the left pinky
extends far to the left. See figure 7.
Figure 3
This action pulls the right band off the back of the right
hand. Even after the band slips off the right fingers, it is still
pinched by the right thumb and forefinger. As soon as this
occurs, slip your left pinkyout of the right band and slip your
left firstand secondfingerout of the left band. This leavesyou
in the position shown in figure 8.
After bouncingthe bandaround to show that it is linked,
add this display which I pinched from one of the Harlan
routines. Stick your left forefingerinto the strand of the right
band which is hangingdown in front of the left band. Stretch
this forward as you pull back on the right band with the right
thumb and forefinger. See figure 9.
Wayne Kyzer and I realized that you can lift up both
hands so that the palms are toward the audience at this point.
This makes a very clean display even cleaner. It appears that
Figure 4
to
Figure 5 Figure 9

Figure 6 Figure 10

there is no possible way the bands could be anywhere other

than stretched between the fingers and thumbs.
Thisaddsa convincing displayto thelink whileallowing
you to slip your leftand right thirdfmgers out of the left band.
As soon as they slipout, theycome to reston topof the fourth
fingers. Theleft bandis nowapparently stretched between the
fourth fmgers. Whenyouremoveyourleftforefinger from the
rightloop,there isnowanevenmoreconvincing display. This
is becausethepart of the rightbandyouare holding seemsfar
awayfromtheleftbandwhichisstretched between thepinkies.
See figure 10.
Rotateyourpalm -uplefthandsothattheleftfirst,second,
Figure 7 and third fmgers and left thumbcan come up through the left
band and join the left pinky.
Open the fingers forming a triangle between the left
thumb,left first finger, and leftsecondfmger. Noticehowthe
left second finger comes over to rest against the right pinky.
This is because the left band shouldnot be "attached"to the
right hand in any manner. Actually, it is secretly pinchedin
the right hand. The triangular condition of the rubber band
covers it. See figure 11.
You are now preparedfor the unlink. Allow your right
secondand third fmgers to slide slightly out of the loop they
are holdingin theircurledposition. Thiskeepsthebandsfrom
catchingon the fingers during the unlink. Now pull the right
band only, forward and to the right between the right thumb
and forefinger. Allow the left band to slip completely off the
right secondand third fmgers as the right hand goes forward.
Figure 8
Extend both forefingers and rotate both hands palm
11
 Figure 1

Figure 11

down. As you do, releaseall other grips on the bands with the
other fingers. The two bands will hang from their respective
forefingers. This is a very clean,convincing,killer of a finish.
Background. This was originally publishedin issue #33
c:i The Trapdoor. Stephen Kradolfer, the originator, is a
sharp and clever Boston magicianwith a mind for developing
great material.
Figure 2

This is Scott's ending for Jerry Andrus's "The Andrus

Bands," the latter being published in issue #33 of The
Trapdoor.
The first three illustrations explain the optical illusion
which makes one band look like two. It is similar to Derek
Dingle's Elastic Illusion from The Chronicles. Basically,
placea rubber band on your left forefinger. Turn it a half turn
and place the other end on your left thumb. It now forms a Figure 3
figure 8. Place your right forefmger into the same loop your
left forefingeroccupies. Place your right thumb into the same
loopyourleftthumboccupies. Yourrightthumband forefinger
pinch the middle of the figure 8 together. Your position is
shown in figure 1.
Pull back with the right hand and forward
with your left. Close your left thumb and forefinger together
about three inchesin front of your right thumband forefinger.
AS soon as your left thumband first finger are together,split
your right thumband forefingerapart. As soon as they are far
apart, bring your pinched left thumb and forefmger back
toward you through the thumb and forefinger. Allow your
right thumb and forefmger to circle the left appendages. This
is shown in figure 2.
Repeat this several times in a row and you willcreate the Figure 4
12
 Silver Sequence
Steve Beam
This is a pretty vanish and reproduction of a coin.
The Work. Hold the left hand in a loose fist. Pick up a
half dollar in your right hand and place it into the opening of
the left fist as shown in figure 1. If you'll raise your left ring
finger, you can place the coin directly into the Tenkai Penny
Grip (aka, the Goshman Pinch) as shown infigure 2. Separate
your hands and snap your right fingers for the magic to
happen.
Figure 5 Pivot your left hand palm up. As it pivots palm up, your

Figure 1

illusion that you are holding two bands. Figure 3 shows the
movement of the band from the sides without the hands.
At the point when the fulcrum of the "V" is at the left
thumb and forefinger (both finger and thumb are touching) the
right forefinger's band is hooked onto the left pinky as shown
in figure 4.
The other section of the band which is held by the right
thumb is now grasped between the thumb and the newly idle
right forefinger. This section is pulled upward until it is
directly over the other section of the band as shown in figure
5. The right hand now covers this section of the band as if
grasping it to remove it from the left hand's grip.
As soon as the upper loop of band is covered, release your
grip on the band with your right thumb and forefinger. You Figure 2
will also release the pinching action between your left thumb
and forefinger. The band will shoot downward and will slide
freely between the left thumb and forefinger. The band will
contract to its natural tension in an instant.
The right hand proceeds away from the left hand as if it
holds the one of the band(s). The left hand with the remaining
band engaged around the first and fourth fingers makes a
magical gesture over the right hand which is then shown
empty. See figure 6.
Background. Scott is a creative magician from Charlotte,
NC. He is one of the frequent contributors to and proofreaders
of The Trapdoor. The above effect was originally published
in issue #37 of The Trapdoor.

Figure 3
13
Figure 4 Figure 8

Figure 5 Figure 9

Fi ure 6 n ure 10

Figure 7 Figure 11
14
 MIDDLE GAUGE SPREAD
Steve Beam
This is an interesting effect in that two spectators find a
selection of a third spectator. Although they were familiar
with the principle, this has fooled some very well informed
card men.
Effect. The magician introduces a deck of card and has
a card selected by the person standing or sitting directly in
front of him. The card is replaced and lost in the deck. The
deck is ribbon spread face down on the table. The magician
then asks a person to the (magician's) right of the first
spectator to touch a card on his side of the spread. He is to slide
that card half way out of the spread toward him (outjogged).
He then asks a person on the other side (magician's left) to
slide a card halfway out of his side of the spread just as the
preceding spectator did.
Figure 12
These two cards are turned face up and inserted back into
the spread at the same positions from which they were
palm down right hand strokes it back toward the left wrist as removed. Addressing the first spectator, "Is either of these
shown in figure 3. Now your right hand turns palm up your selection? No? Well, let me see if I can't salvage my
immediately above the left wrist and brushes back across the career before it is completely destroyed. There must have
left hand (both palm-up) as shown in figure 4. been some reason why you two chose those two cards." The
Now your right hand moves underneath your left, stealing magician instructs each person to count from their card toward
the coin between the base ofthe left first and second finger. See the other person's face up card. They are to stop counting
figure S for the audience's view. As soon as your right hand when they reach the value of their face up card. In other words,
has possession of the coin, rotate both hands palm down. In if the person on the magician's right turned over a six, he is to
the same action, draw the right hand back across the left as start counting cards toward the center of the spread until he
shown in figure 6. reaches the sixth card from the six. If the guy on the left turned
Rotate your left hand palm up and brush your right hand over a four, he would count toward the center of the spread
down from the left wrist to the fingertips as shown in figure until he lands on the fourth card from the four.
7. Bring both hands together, with the right in front of the left Here is where the first coincidenceoccurs. Both spectators
as shown in figure 8. Steal the coin between the base of the left had a free choice of the cards in the spread. When they counted
first and second finger at the back of the hand as you raise your from these cards toward the center, they both ended up on the
hands to the position shown in figure 9. same card. The spectator who selected the card is asked to
Rotate your hands back down to the position shown in reveal its identity. At this, the magician turns over the card the
figure 8. Steal the coin back between the base of the first to other spectators have counted to. It is the selection.
fingers of the right hand at the front. Now raise your hands to The Work. It takes just a minute to set this up It involves
the position shown in figure 10. Finish by lowering your a quick set up of values, the suits don't matter. The top thirteen
hands to figure 8 again, where you can clip the coin between cards of the deck are in ace to king order from the top. The
the fingertips of the first two fingers of the left hand as shown bottom thirteen cards of the deck are in ace to king order from
in figure 11. Slide the coin out under cover of the right fingers the face. It is easy to remember when you start that you should
until it is hidden behind the right fingertips. Blow on your have an ace on the top and on the bottom.
fingertips and push the coin into view as shown in figure 12 Spread the deck in your hands for a spectator to make a
for the climax. selection. Choose someone in the middle of your audience (as
Background. This was originally published in Steve opposed to the left or right). Allow him to choose any of the
Beam on Coins, Volume II (1982). middle twenty six cards to avoid your stacks. Square the deck
and hold it in the right hand from above. When he is ready to
replace his card, use the right forefinger to swivel cut the top
half of the pack into the palm up left hand. You should cut the
deck as near to the center of the pack as possible. This is
important later. Have him place his card on top of the left half.
Drop the right half on top and square the deck.
Now ribbon spread the cards on the table from left to right
in a half moonas shown in figure 1. You want to spread only
the middle twenty-six cards, your stack. The top and bottom
thirteen cards are spread but not very well. They are much
15
more closely grouped than the middle twenty-six. This is to
force the next two spectators to remove a card from your stack. II}' 5;TEl'E IIE·UI
Status Report. The deck is spread on the table. From the
left to right, bottom to top, the cards are in the following order.
approximately 13 indifferent cards, king through ace in Semi-Automatic Card Tricks (Volume 1) -
numerical order, the selection, ace through king in numerical 170 pages of top quality card effects ergonomically
order, approximately 13 indifferent cards. designed for maximum impact. These routines are
Gesture to a person on your right. Ask him to remove a self-working without appearing to be. Humorous
card "from your side of the spread." Use your hands to indicate
patter accompanies many of the effects.
the cards on the right side of the spread. Have him slide the
card out, turn it face up, and slide it back in to the same Semi-Automatic Card Tricks (Volume 2) -
position. Repeat this process with a spectator to your left, 232 pages and 69 effects. These are solid items to
having him slide a card halfway out of the left side of the spread feature in your close-up shows.
and turn it face up. Multiple Impact - The ultimate card location
There are two cards face up in the spread. Because of the
complete with presentation. Spectators remove and
uneven way in which you spread the cards on the table, the
odds are great that both of the face up cards are from your stock. replace their own selections, shuffle, and cut the
For now we will assume that this is what has happened. In a pack. The magician finds all the cards in a hilarious
moment, I will explain what to do in case one or both of the fashion. A professional card routine suitable for
spectators selected a card outside your stock. platform presentation.
Instruct each of the spectators to start with the cards next
Super Stack - The One Second Poker Stack -
to the face up cards and count toward the center of the pack.
They will both end their count on the same card. "Theremust The best and the fastest poker stack. Completely
be a reasonyou both landedon the same card. Hopefully that updated and revised since its original publication in
reasonis that you are aboutto bringthis effect to a successful 1983. 20 pages explain everything including how to
conclusion." Ask the spectator who chose the card for its take a borrowed and shuffled pack and stack any four
identity. Turn the card face up to reveal it.
of a kind to any number of hands using an overhand,
While you should seldom have to use it, there is an
automatic out built into this trick. If either or both of the later tabled riffle, or dovetail shuffle $10.00
two volunteers choose a card from outside your stock, they will The Changing of The Cards - An entire book
have to count twice. Assume the spectator on the right selects on colorchanges. Like the tricks in this lecture insert,
a card near the top of the pack, above your stock. If it is a five, visual tricks get attention quickly. Here are 39 pages
have him count five cards toward the center. The next card he
full of visually stunning color changes.
lands on will probably be in your stock. If not, have him count
again. Upside Down - A comedy prop by Steve Beam
Background. This was originally published on page 126 with routines and ideas by Bev Bergeron, Dan Garrett,
of issue #8 of The Trapdoor (1984). While the principle is Dexter Cleveland, Wayne Kyzer, and Sid Lorraine.
old, the closest thing I could find to the above use is the The Trapdoor - The most original magic
uncredited TheDivining Deck from the Encyclopedia of Card magazine since the original magic magazine. Four
~. It uses a single descending run from ten to ace over the
selection which was controlled to a position eleventh from the times annually you receive the best in magic, the
top of the pack. A spectator is asked to touch one of the top ten funniest satire, and the most enjoyable pleas for
cards. The value of this card then tells the magician how many subscription renewals in magic. Now in its twelfth
cards to deal down to in order to locate the selection. year.
The version explained above has two effects. The first is
the coincidence of landing on the same card at the conclusion
of the count. The second is the fact that that card is the
selection. TRAPDOOR PRODUCTIONS
This is the simplest "killer" I can think of. In fact, despite 407 CARRINGTON DRIVE
its simplicity, the trick is so strong that I once traded its secret KNIGHTDALE, NC 27545
to a top cardman for the opportunity to publish my favorite
trick of his in The Trapdoor.

16