My Magic Handbook

The Hand Is Quicker Than the Eye- Coin sleight

Coin tricks are becoming the hottest medium of close-up magic. In magic stores now, there are racks of specially gimmicked coins and full coin tricks. Since the beginning of modern magic, coins were easily accepted as good props for sleight of hand because of their small size, long durability, and the range of color, size, and denomination. Let's start some coin magic!

Palming

You will need:
an object no larger than a quarter or a coin

This move is required for a lot of tricks, so study this move carefully. Locate the center portion of your thumb muscle and, using your other hand, hold the object right above it. Move the object down a millimeter while you move your thumb muscle up to meet the object. Make a very small angle with your other fingers. Remove the hand that has held the object in place. This move should be practiced and done swiftly. By using this move, you can conceal the object in use, but still have both your hands free.

French Drop

You will need:
An object no larger than a quarter or a coin

You need to know:
The palm

Turn your hand so that your thumb's tip is facing the left and below it is your fore finger facing the same position. Place the object in between the two fingers. Pretend to grab the coin with your other hand, but instead miss and move the thumb of the opposite hand back so that the quarter will drop near the palming position. Palm it. While you are doing that step, follow the "faking hand" with your eyes. The audience will follow your eyes and the faking hand. This will help you palm the object without worrying that they will see you do the "dirty work." To reproduce the object from a person's ear, just take the hand that's palming the object, reach towards someone's ear and pretend to take the object from his ear. To make it look more realistic, push the coin past your fingertips while you "grab" the quarter from their ear.

Trick

George Washington Was a Baker!

Effect: A coin vanishes, only to reappear baked inside a roll!

You will need:
A quarter
A pen or permanent marker (I prefer the marker best)
An Italian roll (one with slits up horizontally on the bread.)

You need to know:
The palm
The French drop

Begin the trick by rolling up your sleeves and removing a quarter from your pocket. Pass the quarter around for inspection. As the quarter begins to come towards the end of inspectors, ask the persons to, with the pen or marker you provide, write her or his initials on George Washington's face. Take the quarter back and begin by using this story: Have you ever wondered what George Washington was before he was a president or the head of the American army? Let me tell you: he was a baker. Even during his presidency sometimes he would slip out of his house- now work the French drop and palm the quarter- and disappear to his own bakery. You know- look. Grab the bread with the hand that does not have the quarter. Break the roll, using the center slit. As you push up on the roll, push the palmed quarter in it. The quarter appears baked in. Remove the quarter. Hand the quarter to the person who had signed the quarter and ask her if the markings on the quarter are indeed hers. They are. A mini-miracle.

The Two Coin Steal

You need:
Two of the same coins

This sleight is in preparation for the next trick. Remember there is another sleight called the one coin steal and is not similar whatsoever. This trick requires a set- up. Open your hand. Place one of the coins in the center of the section where your finger meets your hand. Close the hand. Place the other coin halfway on your middle and ring finger's nails and halfway on your palm. Turn your hand over. As you begin the rotation, open and close your hand quickly, allowing the coin on the top of your fingers to slip underneath your fingers with the other coin.

Trick

The Crazy Lovers

Effect: A spectator places a oin in each of your hands and a coin above it. You remove the top coins. After they are replaced into their original positions by a spectator, the coin from inside one hand jumps into the other hand!

You need:
Four identical coins

You need to know:
The two coin steal

As you set up both hand for the two- coin steal (note: only one hand will actually perform it.). Start your story: The two coins in my hands are to people madly in love. The coins on top of them are their guards, for the lovers are both mentally ill. One fine day, the couple decided to break out and live together. They kicked the guards through the bars of their cell- In one hand perform the two hand steal. With the other let go of both coins (To make the trick more realistic, try softly flinging the quarters towards the other hands)- and after they returned- you ask someone to put the guards back on your hands- they were surprised to see the lovers in one cell. Ask the same person to remove the guards from your hands. Open both hands- revealing that their are two quarters in one hand and none in the other.

In a magic act, one must make the tricks "flow." Most magicians use a common object. The next trick will allow you to flow from coin trick to card trick, or visa versa.

The One Coin Steal

You need:
Four cards
One coin

Place the coin on a carpet. Deal a card on top of it. As you deal, the hand with the cards should steal the coin. You have removed the coin "magically."

The Card Pick-up and Delivery

You need:
One card
One coin

Place the coin on a carpet, like before. Put the card on top. Pick up the card, with the coin. That's the pick- up part. Now the delivery. Put the coin and card down. As you do so, release the coin.

Trick

The Incredible, Super- dupe Famous Jumping Quarters

Effect: You form a square with a quarter for each corner. You place a card over each one. All of the quarters, one by one, seem to jump under one card.

You need:
Four coins
Four cards

You need to know:
The one coin steal
The card pick- up and delivery

Place the coins in a box formation on a carpet, a quarter for a corner. Deal a card on top of each. On the first coin, perform the one coin steal. On the last coin, drop the quarter. Pick up the card with two coins underneath. Do a card pick- up. Lift up any card normally, as long as it has a quarter underneath. Place the cards back down. Deliver the quarter back. Lift the cards back up, this time performing the pick- up to the other card. Now how did that quarter jump there? Place the card with the quarter underneath on top of the two quarters and place the other card anywhere. Repeat those steps, again making sure you don't pick- up the card with no coin underneath. Now explain that you want to differ a little bit. Pick up the card with no coin underneath. Where did it go? Normally pick up the remaining card. Four quarters underneath. Viola!!!

Nothing To Do With the Sink- Tricks Using Sponge Balls

I love my sponge balls. Not only are they easy to handle, they are bright and all ages can enjoy them. These tricks, though, are difficult and need a lot of practice to perfect, but are definitely worth the effort. Sponge on, magicians!

The Two Ball Squeeze

You need:
Two sponge balls
A secret helper to practice on (or you can use your other hand- it doesn't matter)

Take the two balls and hold them as one. Place them in the assistant's hand or your hand. Keep the balls loosely in your hand. As you slide your hand out, use your other fingers or your other hand, depending on how you decided to practice on, to close the hand. You should practice this move a lot and be able to do this thoroughly and smoothly.
*Note: Sponge balls are inexpensive props sold at most magic shops. If you can't get them, pom-pom balls can be used in the sponge ball's place.

Trick

The Incredible Flying Ball

Effect: A ball in your hand vanishes from your hand and reappears into your spectator's hand!

You need:
Two sponge balls

You need to know:
The French drop
The two ball squeeze

Begin with one of the sponge balls on the table. Take the remaining sponge ball and perform the French drop. Clench the fist that is supposed to have the ball in it. If you think in your mind that the ball is in the fist, then the audience believes this, too. Swiftly, grab the ball on the table, adding it to the one hidden in your hand. Call up an assistant an do the two ball squeeze to the person. One ball in my hand. One ball in your hand. My ball, though, is a magical one. It has jumped from my hand- open your fist to show that the ball isn't there- to your hand. Ask the assistant to open his or her hand. There are two balls in his or her hand. Bravo, magician!

The following instructions explain how to make a prop. This should be made under the supervision of a parent or guardian.

A switch tube

You need:
A pair of scissors
A sheet of cardboard
Flesh colored (peach) paint (optional)
A ruler
Masking tape
Glue (tacky glue is the best)
A pencil

Using the ruler, measure out a rectangle on the cardboard with the dimensions of two and three-fourths inches by two and a half inches. Cut the rectangle out. Roll the cardboard in to a tube, making sure that the length of the tube is two and three-fourths inches, not two and a half inches. Tape the tube so that there is an opening on both ends. Use the scissors if necessary. Trace the opening of the tube on to the scrap cardboard and cut it out. Cut hole in the middle of the circle, leaving about a forth of an inch size border. With the glue, make some circles inside the tube. Push the ring in to the tube so that the end of the tube is even with the circle. Let the whole assembly dry. You can then paint the tube peach if you'd like. This will help keep the tube inconspicuous when you use it.

Trick

Red and Yellow Make Orange

Effect: You tie two hankercheifs together and show that there is nothing in your hand. After passing the hankerchiefs several time through your hand, they turn into an orange ball.

You need:
A red handkerchief
A yellow handkerchief
An orange sponge ball
The switch tube

You need to know:
Palming

Before the trick begins, push the sponge ball gently in to the tube through the larger end and push the ball in till the end of the ball protrudes a little through the smaller end. Start by palming the tube in one of your hands. We all should know that red and yellow make orange. I'll show you. Take the red handkerchief, display it, proving they are ungimmicked, and take the yellow handkerchief, doing the same, and tie them together. Push the handkerchiefs in to the other hand that doesn't have the tube. Pull the handkerchiefs out through the bottom of your fist Repeat this a few times. When you display the handkerchiefs again, quickly switch the tube to the other hand and curl your fingers around it. All right. Red and yellow- push the handkerchiefs in to the tube. Pull the orange ball out instead of the handkerchiefs- make orange! When you put the ball in your pocket, place the tube there, too.

Ball Curling

You need:
A sponge ball
A jacket (like a blazer or suit jacket. Girls can use the small jackets that come with business suits)

Place the ball up your sleeve where you bend your arm, or the crotch of the arm. Bend both of your arms up and turn your hands up like you were showing someone that nothing was in your hands. Make sure your hands are parallel with your chest. Quickly, turn your arms over as you straighten your arms. The ball should begin to roll down your sleeve. If you time it just right, the ball can land in your fist and, if you close your hand, have the ball secretly in your hand.

Trick

The Magic Chicken

You need:
A sponge ball
A jacket

You need to know:
The ball curl

Before the trick, put the jacket on and place a sponge ball in the crotch of your arm. Hi everyone! Would you like to see my chicken? He right here- point to your shoulder- only you can't see him because he's invisible. I'll prove it. There's nothing in my hand now- start doing the ball curl as you say this- but if my chicken comes, he can help me. You should now have the sponge ball in your hand. Make a fist around it. This is ______'s (name your chicken) nest. Point to the closed hand. Pretend you are lowering the chicken from your shoulder to your fist. Watch! He's laying an egg- right before your eyes! Pretend your taking your chicken off of his nest and putting him back on your shoulder. See- open your fist- he laid an egg!

The Push

You need: a sponge ball

Place the sponge ball in your hand and close your hand in to a fist. Open your fist. As you do so, push the sponge ball up against your four fingers with your thumb. In a flourish, push your thumb up. The ball should "pop" to your fingertips.

Trick

The Second Ball

You need:
Two sponge balls
A pair of pants or shorts with a pocket

You need to know:
The french drop
The palm
The push

Start the trick with both balls in your pocket. Take one of the balls out of your pockets and exaggerate the fact that the only thing in your hands is one ball. Tell the audience that you will push a ball through the matierial of your pants. Perform the french drop and palm the ball. Place the hand without the ball in to your pocket. Watch closely! Straighten your hand out against the pocket, as if you were really pushing something through. Place the hand with the ball up against the hand in the pocket. With the hand inside the pocket, pinch the ball. Slowly lift the other hand away from the ball. Release the ball and catch it. Secretly, with the hand in the pocket, palm the other ball. Let's play a little game. Look very closely at my hands. In plain view, close your fist around the ball the audience is aware of. The hundred dollar question- which hand is it in? Everyone will point to the hand they just saw you put the ball in. Sorry, you're wrong! Perform the push with the other hand to prove them wrong. I guess I'll have to admit it- do the push with the other hand- I had a second ball.

Anywhere Tricks- Tricks With Paper And Pen

I have found that paper and pen tricks, without math, are one of the finest of branches magic for they could be done any where, any time, to any one, and for any story. The title of this chapter says it all, that the tricks can be done everywhere. When I am a guest at someone's house, I am always itching to amaze them with my magic. Because almost every household has paper, pens, and pencils, it is easy to find the props needed for the tricks below. Get those pens and paper working!

The Paper Switch

You need:
Two pieces of paper or one piece of paper torn in half

You need to know:
The palm

Trick

The Magic Chicken

You need:
A sponge ball
A jacket

You need to know:
The ball curl

Before the trick, put the jacket on and place a sponge ball in the crotch of your arm. Hi everyone! Would you like to see my chicken? He right here- point to your shoulder- only you can't see him because he's invisible. I'll prove it. There's nothing in my hand now- start doing the ball curl as you say this- but if my chicken comes, he can help me. You should now have the sponge ball in your hand. Make a fist around it. This is ______'s (name your chicken) nest. Point to the closed hand. Pretend you are lowering the chicken from your shoulder to your fist. Watch! He's laying an egg- right before your eyes! Pretend your taking your chicken off of his nest and putting him back on your shoulder. See- open your fist- he laid an egg!

The Push

You need: a sponge ball

Place the sponge ball in your hand and close your hand in to a fist. Open your fist. As you do so, push the sponge ball up against your four fingers with your thumb. In a flourish, push your thumb up. The ball should "pop" to your fingertips.

Trick

The Second Ball

You need:
Two sponge balls
A pair of pants or shorts with a pocket

You need to know:
The french drop
The palm
The push

Start the trick with both balls in your pocket. Take one of the balls out of your pockets and exaggerate the fact that the only thing in your hands is one ball. Tell the audience that you will push a ball through the matierial of your pants. Perform the french drop and palm the ball. Place the hand without the ball in to your pocket. Watch closely! Straighten your hand out against the pocket, as if you were really pushing something through. Place the hand with the ball up against the hand in the pocket. With the hand inside the pocket, pinch the ball. Slowly lift the other hand away from the ball. Release the ball and catch it. Secretly, with the hand in the pocket, palm the other ball. Let's play a little game. Look very closely at my hands. In plain view, close your fist around the ball the audience is aware of. The hundred dollar question- which hand is it in? Everyone will point to the hand they just saw you put the ball in. Sorry, you're wrong! Perform the push with the other hand to prove them wrong. I guess I'll have to admit it- do the push with the other hand- I had a second ball.

Anywhere Tricks- Tricks With Paper And Pen

I have found that paper and pen tricks, without math, are one of the finest of branches magic for they could be done any where, any time, to any one, and for any story. The title of this chapter says it all, that the tricks can be done everywhere. When I am a guest at someone's house, I am always itching to amaze them with my magic. Because almost every household has paper, pens, and pencils, it is easy to find the props needed for the tricks below. Get those pens and paper working!

The Paper Switch

You need:
Two pieces of paper or one piece of paper torn in half

You need to know:
The palm

Trick

The Magic Chicken

You need:
A sponge ball
A jacket

You need to know:
The ball curl

Before the trick, put the jacket on and place a sponge ball in the crotch of your arm. Hi everyone! Would you like to see my chicken? He right here- point to your shoulder- only you can't see him because he's invisible. I'll prove it. There's nothing in my hand now- start doing the ball curl as you say this- but if my chicken comes, he can help me. You should now have the sponge ball in your hand. Make a fist around it. This is ______'s (name your chicken) nest. Point to the closed hand. Pretend you are lowering the chicken from your shoulder to your fist. Watch! He's laying an egg- right before your eyes! Pretend your taking your chicken off of his nest and putting him back on your shoulder. See- open your fist- he laid an egg!

The Push

You need: a sponge ball

Place the sponge ball in your hand and close your hand in to a fist. Open your fist. As you do so, push the sponge ball up against your four fingers with your thumb. In a flourish, push your thumb up. The ball should "pop" to your fingertips.

Trick

The Second Ball

You need:
Two sponge balls
A pair of pants or shorts with a pocket

You need to know:
The french drop
The palm
The push

Start the trick with both balls in your pocket. Take one of the balls out of your pockets and exaggerate the fact that the only thing in your hands is one ball. Tell the audience that you will push a ball through the matierial of your pants. Perform the french drop and palm the ball. Place the hand without the ball in to your pocket. Watch closely! Straighten your hand out against the pocket, as if you were really pushing something through. Place the hand with the ball up against the hand in the pocket. With the hand inside the pocket, pinch the ball. Slowly lift the other hand away from the ball. Release the ball and catch it. Secretly, with the hand in the pocket, palm the other ball. Let's play a little game. Look very closely at my hands. In plain view, close your fist around the ball the audience is aware of. The hundred dollar question- which hand is it in? Everyone will point to the hand they just saw you put the ball in. Sorry, you're wrong! Perform the push with the other hand to prove them wrong. I guess I'll have to admit it- do the push with the other hand- I had a second ball.

Anywhere Tricks- Tricks With Paper And Pen

I have found that paper and pen tricks, without math, are one of the finest of branches magic for they could be done any where, any time, to any one, and for any story. The title of this chapter says it all, that the tricks can be done everywhere. When I am a guest at someone's house, I am always itching to amaze them with my magic. Because almost every household has paper, pens, and pencils, it is easy to find the props needed for the tricks below. Get those pens and paper working!

The Paper Switch

You need:
Two pieces of paper or one piece of paper torn in half

You need to know:
The palm

Fold one of the slips of paper and palm it in either hand. Pick up the paper with that hand. Begin to fold the other paper. Remember- fold in the same direction. As the paper becomes close to the size of the palmed paper, fold the paper in half vertically, downward. At the same time, use the thumb muscle to push the palmed paper even with the other. Grab the two pieces of paper with the other hand and push the papers in to the "worker" hand. Using the other hand again, remove the previously palmed paper. You have successfully switched the paper.

The Pen and Paper Steal

You need:
A pen with a cap
A small piece of paper

You need to know:
The palm

Fold the piece of paper in to a small size. Use the clip on the cap to hold the paper on the pen. This is your set-up. To practice, put the set-up pen in your pocket. Remove the pen, your hand holding the clipped paper section of the pen. Remove the cap. As you place the cap on the bottom of the pen preparing to write, use your thumb to slide the folded paper in to palming position. Palm it.

Trick

The Magic Talking Face

You need:
Two pieces of paper
A pen

You need to know:
The palm
The paper switch
The pen and paper steal

Set-up:
On one piece of paper, draw a picture of a smiley face, its mouth open. Write in big, bold letters, "Hello!" Set it up for the pen and paper steal.

Begin by taking out the pen and performing the pen and paper steal. As you draw a smiley face with a closed mouth and no message, explain what you're doing: You know, I love being a magician for many reasons. One of them is that I get a talking paper face- for free! Here he is! Smiley the talking face! Let me show you. Let's say hello! You know he's very polite and will respond, but- begin folding the paper and performing the paper switch- he has a terrible case of stage fright. Now maybe he'll respond. Give the paper to an audience member. As everybody is looking at the audience member place the other paper in your pocket. Watch the expression on the people's faces. They'll be amazed!

Again, let me remind you that the perperations of props should first be O.K.ed by your parents, and, if needed, supervised by them.

How to Create Mobius Strips

You need:
Scissors
A piece of paper
A pen
Scotch Tape

Cut the paper lenthwise into three steps. Take the first strip and tape it together into a loop. Take the second strip and, with the pen, make a small dot. Before forming it into a loop, twist one of the ends. Tape the ends together. Take the last strip and make two dots. Do as before, but twist the strip twice before taping it. You can now perform the trick that follows.

Trick

The Circus Belts

You need:
A pair of scissors
The three Mobius strips

Take out all three strips. Begin by talking to the audience. Once when I went to the circus, the ring leader ran to me with a problem. He was carrying three belts. Display the belts. The ring leader said that his two magicians needed a belt each, but they only had one. Pick up the loop with no dot. Using the scissor, pierce through a place in the loop and start cutting forward. You should end up with two loops. That one didn't need any magic, but then the ring leader told me the other problems. The siamese twins thought they only needed one belt, but they found out that they need two belts that were linked together. I waved my hand- wave your hand- and cut. Pick up the belt with the two dots. Repeat as before. Becauses of the twists, the belt will become two belts connected. Then the ring leader almost stumped me. He said I had to make the belt bigger for the fat man. I really used my magic. Again, repeat as before. You will end up with one large belt. The ring leader thanked me. The show went on! Give the belts to someone as a present for attending the show (Hey, you look like that clown I once saw in the circus! You might be able to use these...).

Magician's force

You need:
Nothing

Pretend you have two scarves. One is red and one is yellow. Let's force someone to pick the red one. Tell them to touch a scarf. If he touches the red one, tell him that that is his selection. If he picks the yellow one, reply "Okay- if you say so," and take it away. Now isn't that simple?

Tricks

A Trick For Online Chat Rooms

You need:
America Online

You need to know:
Magician's Force

Sign on to a chat room. (If you want to catch the people in the room's attention, type "{S welcome"- it'll make the everyone in the chatroom's computer say, "Welcome") Ask someone if they would like to see a magic trick. Tell them to write on a piece of paper your prediction. Any number will do. Begin to ask for halves- ask them to pick 1-10 or 10-20 and so on. Use magician's force to force them to pick your number. Tell them to remove your prediction from their pocket. (If you want, type "{S good- bye"- it'll make everyone's computer say, "Good- bye")

This trick can be done live, too remember.

The Dream Team

You need:
Two pieces of paper
A pen

You need to know:
Magician's Force

Rip one of your pieces of paper in half. Draw three logos on one half and write the numbers 1 and 2, underneath each other. When you are ready to perform the trick, give the half with the numbers on it to an audience member. Explain that you will read his or her mind and predict the Dream Team he will make up. Begin by righting your prediction. Draw one of the symbols that you had previously drawn. Rip of that segment of the paper that contains the drawing, crumple it into a ball, and place the ball on the table, in front of you. Ask him, next to number one, to write the Coach's name. Instruct him that wackier the name the better. Tell him or her to read out loud the name to the audience. Do as before with your first prediction, but write down the coach's name. Instruct him or her to write the name of the team. Again, the wackier the better. Ask him or her to read out loud the name of his or her team. Make your final prediction, doing so as before and righting the team's name. Using magician's force, force the participant to select the logo you had predicted at the beginning of the trick. Uncrumple the paper balls in no particular order, calling to the audience's attention that you exactly predicted each aspect chosen by your participant by matching up the opened paper with the answer sheet. If you wish, return the papers to the participant as a gift and a memory of your magical talent.





Continue
Back HomeMeet the Royal Family- Card Tricks

If I had to tell a fellow magician one type of magic they should pursue that will come out with the most reward and pleasure, I would say card tricks. The first trick I ever saw was a card trick my Dad showed me. It inspired me to do magic. Just this year, he showed me the trick again (almost five years after he showed me the trick the first time) and I easily figured it out. This showed me how much I had grown in both card tricks and magic. If not for card tricks, I wouldn't have tried magic and I wouldn't have written this book. Go and shuffle along! (Ha ha! Get it? Shuffle like in cards...) I'm sorry about that really bad joke.

The Bottom-of-the-deck Switch

You need:
A deck of cards

Begin by sliding the bottom card to the left about one inch. As you do so, place the other hand's fore finger, middle finger, ring finger, and pinkie on the next card above the bottom card. Begin sliding the card to the right. Begin the to move the other hand the same direction. Stop moving the bottom card when it is straight with the other card. It seems that you had removed the bottom card when you had actually removed the second- to- the- bottom card.

Trick

How Could I Mess- up?

You need:
A deck of cards

You need to know:
The bottom- of- the- deck switch
Magician's Force

Fan the cards. Make sure that the backs are facing up, as not to reveal the cards to you. Tell him or her to memorize the card. As she or he does so, count off three cards and hold it in the palm of the hand that is not holding the deck. Instruct the audience member to place the card on top of the small stack of cards in your hand. Place this group of four cards on the bottom. I've been practicing this real cool trick. I'm not so sure this will work. all right. See this card on the bottom? Show her the bottom of the deck. It's not his or her card. Good. Watch this- Wave your hand over the card. Nothing happens. Ta da!!! It didn't work- did it? Hmmm... let me try again. Slide the card to the left and the right (don't do the switch yet, though). Place it on the table to the far left. Place the next card on the top of the deck. Repeat the patter and the actions, but this time perform the switch. Place the card on table, to the right of the first card, and place the next card on the top. Repeat again twice, without doing the switch. Aaaa... I just wanted to make the trick more interesting because... ummm... because now you saw each card and I can't trick you. Do the same thing as before, but do the switch on the first card. If everything was done properly, the card on the far left is the chosen card. Perform the magician's force, forcing the spectator to choose her own card. Place the other three cards back in the deck. All right... maybe I did mess- up, but let's first take a look at this card. What was your card? Let her or him answer. Really? Neat. Flip over the remaining card. You really didn't mess- up now, did you?

The fake view *

You need:
The Ace of Hearts
The Ace of Spades
The Ace of Clubs

Hold the Ace of Hearts upside- down in your hand. With the other hand, place the Ace of Spades or the Ace of Clubs on an angle in which the corner of the card block the small heart and the rest of the card blocks all of the left section of the heart, with an exception of the point. Repeat this with the other ace, this time covering just the remaining portion, without hiding the point. It now appears that the center card is the Ace of Diamonds- and not the Ace of Hearts.

Trick

Houdini's Metamorphosis *

You will need:
The four aces
A small box that will fit one playing card

You need to know:
The fake view

Before the trick, insert the Ace of Diamonds in to the box. Remove the other three aces and hold them with a fake view. Explain to the audience what you are doing. One of my favorite magic tricks was one that Houdini use to perform. Here's Houdini- surrounded by the guards in black. Point to the Ace of Hearts. His brother would be placed in tied sack and put in a caravan. Pick up the box. Shake it. The audience will hear the sound of the card jiggling in the box. Houdini would turn around. Close the fan and straighten the cards. Turn them over again. Remember to have the heart face- up as not to reveal the secret. Huh? Let's check the caravan. Open the box and let the card fall out. Boy do I love this trick!

The fake view fan *

You need:
The cards ace, two, three, four, five, nine, and seven in the same suit

Make fan of the cards, keeping the cards in the same order as described above. Turn the fan over. It appears that the nine is a six- but it's not.

The Second Card Force Shuffle

You need:
Nine playing cards

Hold the stack of cards face down. Deal one of the cards on the table. Transfer the next card on to the bottom of the deck. Continue. The last card your holding was the second- to- the- bottom card.

Trick

The Power of the Mind *

You need:
A deck of cards
A small box with enough room to fit one playing card

You need to know:
The fake view fan
The second card force shuffle

Before the trick, insert the six of clubs in to the box. Begin the trick by setting up the fake view fan. As you get ready, tell them what you are doing. I am about to show you the power of the mind. If this power is harnessed, usually through hypnosis, weird things can occur. Let me show you. Display the fan of cards the proper way. Point to each card and say what it is (with an exception of the nine. You should call it a six). Point out that each card is the same suit. Hand over the rest of the cards to an audience member and ask him or her if they would be so kind as to check the deck for any doubles of the cards. There aren't any. all right. Let me prove that there are no secret cards hidden. There should be seven cards, right? Hold the cards face down. Count them as you deal them on to the table (this is to force the nine of clubs to the second to the bottom. Depending on how you fan the cards, depends if you should do this part of the trick. See which way better suits you.). Pick them up. Lets pick one. Does anyone know the what- the- heck- is- this- kind- of- shuffle? Nobody will. All right. I'll do it. Perform the second card force shuffle. Place the card left in your hand in to the deck (That card is the nine). Can you shuffle the cards, sir? Thank you. Well, wait. What was your card? Let's see. Display the rest of the cards. Place them on the table, putting them to the left or right of the card before it, depending on the order. Soon, it will be clear that the six is the one missing. Give the cards on the table to the person shuffling the cards. Tell him or her to continue to shuffle the cards. Everybody now concentrate on the card very hard. Hey, you! Point to someone. Come on!!! Concentrate. Now here's the cool part. Erase it from your mind. Because your mind power was so strong- well, look. Ask the person shuffling the cards to stop and now look for the six of clubs. Where'd it go? Only you know, but remember magic is half acting so don't let your facial expression tell the audience that you knew the card wasn't there. Take out the box. Everybody again picture the card. Let's try to create the card. You're doing it! Just a little bit more!!! Open the box and pour out the card. Turn it over if you have to. I guess the mind really is strong!

Thumb lift **

You need:
Four playing cards

Count two of the cards of the top and, with the hand that's holding the cards, place your thumb in between the pair of cards and the rest of the cards. The break shouldn't be that big and should get larger as it nears the thumb. Your other fingers should be almost blocking the view of the separate cards. With the other hand, take the two cards off the deck that have been separated. They should be held tightly together and should seem as one card. Turn the card over. If done fluently, it will appear that the top card is the suit and number of the second card.

Trick
Mathematical Paradox **

You need:
The four aces

You need to know:
The thumb lift
lift

Place the aces so that the two reds are sandwiched between the two black aces. Let me help explain to you what a paradox is. My dictionary says that it is a self-contradictory statement, whatever that means. I'll use magic to explain it. Ask your helper what the color of the top ace is. Coach her in to saying, "red." Perform the thumb lift, telling the person that he or she is correct. Replace the cards on top of the others and take the real top card off. One red ace. You were correct. That sentence might be a paradox. Lets try that again. Repeat what you just did. The participator thinks now that there are two red aces on the table. In reality, there are two black aces. Its a paradox. You see, even though you were right, you were also wrong. Turn the cards on the table over. Show that you have the red aces. Ta da!

Look Into My Eyes… They are Getting Sleepy…