kostya kimlat - the joker game lecture notes 2000.pdf
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heImages jump out
of
the
creative
space
into
the created
space,
The figures are shaken outofthc magician s sleeve and
appear
out of .
thin
air
bursting withlife. The fantasies are beautiful
in
appearance,
but
all
except one have losttheir minds, Onlya lonesomeJoker sees
through the delusion. - Jostein Gaarder
osty
iml t
.;.
..
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~ ~
•
¥
••
¥ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ •
• Let shopewewillnotalways process Jokers,
butlearnto enjoytheirwildness. -Robert Neale
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This is copy number of a limited printing.
First Edition October 2000
© Copyright 2000 by Kostya Kimlat. All rights reserved. No part of this document may be
reproduced or transmitted
any form, by any means electronic, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise , nor may any effect included in these notes be marketed, without the permission of
the author.
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The
Joker s
Introduction:
Afew months ago I was sessioning with several of my friends and after
performing
for
them
for about an
hour
I realized
that eve T
single one of
th e
effects I had
performed
was
on e
of my
own. I
remember
feeling a sense
of
accomplishment
and
realizing
that
I
ha d
moved into another stage
in this ar t and I remember muttering
something
to my
parents
about
ho w
I
haven t
wasted
all
my
time
with
card
tricks.
Writing these notes
has
been a pleasure.
feels
great
to take all
the
knowledge that you
have accumulated
in life
and put it
into a card trick,
it
really does. And it s much
more
productive
than let s say
getting
a
realjob
or doing anything
important
in life.
An d
so I
present
t o y ou
my life s work an d
meaning
an d all
my
hopes
and
aspirations,
all in th e
following pages, an d I hope that yo u
find something interesting in
all of it. Maybe you ll
discover
something that
will
entertainyour
audiences, maybe something
that
will
intrigue
an d
inspire
t hem. An d
if
yo u
find
something
that
will
make
them
throw
hundred
dollar
bills at your feet, send me an e-mail at MagiKos52@yahoo.com an d le t
me know,
because
a
teenager needs
all th e cash he can get.
Whatever
it is
yo u
find inthes e
lecture
notes, I sincerelyhope it brings
yo u
much joy
thinking
about
it
an d even
performing
it. I
have performed
every
single one
ofthese
routines
myself
an d I can
swear
by their
astonishment
and entertainment factors. They
. ar e definitely worth trying outfor a
real
audience.
Before I let yo u turn the page, I want to tell
you
about a few wonderful individuals
who
have been
an
astounding
help
to
me
in
th e
last
fewyears.
First
is
m y
across-the
continent
mentor,
Walt Anthony,
who h as
taught
me ,
over phone
and
computer, that
it
takes a
lo t
more to
be
a
good
magician
than learning
sleights.
He
has explained to
me
th e principles ofpsychology, theater, technique, presentation, marketing, everything,·
an d
ho w
they are
all
a
part
of magic.
He ha s
always helped
me
and
answered
my
countless questions, and I am
much in hi s
debt
. .
I also
want
to thank Rex
Todd
Alexander, Joseph Constantine, Neils Sayers, and Paul
Tejera
- all Floridamagicians
whom
I have h a d t he pleasure of knowing and
performing
with for over
four
years now. No t
only
have they
helped
me learn
and
grow as a
magician,
but
they
have also
been great
friends
t o h an g out
with.
Thank
You, guys.
And
no w
all that is left to sa y is
that
I
hope
yo u will like
what
you
read an d
will
find
inside an effect or two
that
you will wish to
ad d
to
your
repertoire. Enjoy
Sincerely,
/ imLd-
KostyaKirnlat
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Q Joker Aces
October, 1999
History:
This quick and direct version of
Joker Aces (Linking Ring, September,
1998), like the original, can be done with
either two jokers or two selections. The
handling was created after a getting a
suggestion from Kevin Kelly to create a
version that doesnot use the BraueReversaL
What follows is my creation.
Effect:
The Four Aces are taken out o the
deck and shown one at a time to the
spectator. The Two Black Aces are shown
and placed under the spectator s hands, ·but
suddenly they jump back into the magician s
hands. When the spectator turns over his
cards, he finds instead of two Red Aces, two
Jokers The deck is spread, and in the
middle, face-up are the two red aces
Method
Have. the deck shuffled up by a
spectator, get it back, and start spreading it
from left hand to right. As you come to the
aces, up jog them. At the same time, cull
the two Jokers to the top
o
the deck. you
can t do a Hofzinser Spread Cull or a Marlo
Prayer Cull, then start out with the jokers on
top, give the deck ·a riffle shuffle, keeping
the jokers in place, and then spread, up
jogging the four aces.
Get the four aces in red, red, black, black
order from the face and as you are squaring
the deck, still keeping the aces out jogged,
obtain a pinkie break above the two jokers.
Perform Vernon s Strip-outAddition adding
the two jokers behind the four aces. Briefly:
the two jokers go into a high gambler s cop
position. With the jokers gripped, your left
hand moves forward to strip out the four
aces, adding the jokers to the bottom. Tum
the six-card packet in your left hand face
down, and drop the rest o the deckover that
packet, sidejogged to the right.
Tum the deck end for end so you are now
lookingat a face-up packet o 6 cards on top
o
the deck, but side jogged slightly to the
left. Asyou square up all the cards, obtaina
pinkie break below the 6 cards (a, a,
a a J,
J). Transferthe pinkie break to a
Thumb
break and as you do so, the thumb also picks
.up the top face-down card of the deck,
holding a break between it and the six-card
stack. You will
now
perform Marlo s
ATFUS.
Briefly: The right hand moves to the right
with the seven-card packet, still holding a
break between the six face-up and the one
face-down card. The left thuinb slips the
first ace onto the top o the deck, followed
by the second, which is slightly side-jogged
to the left. Then, the thumb pulls the third
ace to the left, but-only for an inch, so it
exposes the fourth ace, but is still covering
it. The situation should now look like this:
Face-up red ace on top
o
the deck, second
red ace over the first, third black ace with
two face-up jokers and face-down
indifferent card below it all the way on the
right side, and fourth black ace an inch to
the left of the third. Your right thumb is still
holding a break over the face-down
indifferentcard.
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Now, if you square up the ace display and
let go
of
your thumb break, in your hand yo u
will have left two aces followed by two
. jokers, all face-up. The deck will have one
face-down card followed
y
two face-up red
aces an d then the balance of the deck.
Your right hand no w flips its four-card
packet face-down and spreads it slightly.
Your right hand also extends to gesture to
the spectators, as you ask them to place their
hands out on the table, face-up. At the same
time your left hand performs a Charlier cut,
putting the two face-up aces into the middle
of
the deck.
You now end as in the regular Joker Aces by
performing the first tw o moves
of
Brother
John Hamman s Gemini
Count. First you perform a double lift with
the middle two cards, showing an ace,
turning it face-down an d giving the top card .
(joker) to the .spectator. Then you do a
double lift from the bottom, ·showing the
second ace, turning face-down and
handing the second joker to the spectator.
All that s left is to flip the cards in your
hand revealing the
Aces
let them turn over
. the cards in their hands to reveal the jokers,
and then, fmally,
spread
the deck to reveal
the red aces in the middle
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Renegade
oker
, December 1, 1998
This effect came about after reading Paul
Cummin's Commercial Universal from
FASDIU and Universal Joker by Christian
Ehret. This routine is great to do for lay
people and I have worked out the handling
so it can be done with 'a shuffled deck in
use' Enjoy
Effect: The Joker, acting as a bounty
hunter, tracks down two selections in a very
magical way. No use running away, and
leaving the Joker empty handed, because at
the end he has them by their necks
Preparation: To do the kicker ending, you
will need to make the special Joker Card
Take out a Joker from another deck, and
also any two old cards which you do not
need anymore. (We will use the Four of
Diamonds and the Jack of Spades.) Cut out
one of the two indexes from the cards, and
be neat about it, cutting right above the
value, and right below the little suit design.
The cut out that you willmake should be the
shape of a rectangle measuring
approximately % in. by in.
Then, using a glue stick or double
sided tape, stick the two cut outs onto the
joker. Place them right above the' hands of
the Joker which are holding onto the wheel,
making it look as if
his hands are holding
the two indexes. This does not take long,
and one card will last you for a very long
time.
The Performance: You start out with the
special Joker on the bottom of the deck. f
you are doing this walk around, place the
Joker Card into your left pocket with the
face out and the back touching your leg.
The regular joker should be somewhere in
the middle of the deck. Remember not to
use the guarantee joker; your regular Joker
shouldmatch the gimmicked one in
design
1. When ready to do the routine, your left
hand reaches into the pocket, bottom-palms
the Joker, comes out, and adds it to the
bottom of the face down deck. Right away,
turn the deck over so the faces can only be
seen by you. Your right hand then
comes
over and thumbs off the joker, which goes
under the deck and rides along on your
fingers as you
start spreading the deck
looking for the two force cards. (In this
case, the Four of Diamonds and the Jack of
Spades.) Once you see one of the twocards,
your hands go down so the faces of all the
cards can be seen by the spectators. At the
same time, you do the Marlo Prayer Cull,
stealing that card under the deck, and under
the Joker. This is then repeated with the
second card.
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2. Once you have the three pards riding
under the spread, you close-up th e deck
placing them on the bottom. Re-spread right
away, telling the spectators that you are
. (still) looking for one special card, the card
that stands out, the Renegade card Once
you reach the regular Joker, take it out, and
drop it onto the table or give to a spectator to
hold.
With tongue firmly planted
in
cheek, you
patter: There it is That is the Renegade
Joker, th e Bounty Hunter, and the most
dangerous card
in
the deck You can see
that by the big Harley he is riding and his .
mean biker look He
will
find any fugitive
on the run, no matter where they hidel
Here, let me show you if .you don't believe
me .
3. While talking, swing cut the top half the
deck into the left hand, and replace the
remaining
half
on top, but keep a
R.
Thumb
break betweenthe two sections Then, .ask
the spectator to say stop while you dribble
the cards. Here you must force the two
cards.
(I
prefer the dribble force, but the
Riffle or any other onewill do.) 'Once they
call stop, the right hand drops all the cards
below its break. The left hand then thumbs
of f the top two cards
of
it s
packet (JS, 4D),
and then places it's section on top
o f
the
right hand section.
4. Once the spectators have remembered
their selections, have the two cards replaced
into two different parts
of
the deck
(important), and control them to the top
of
+ ho ACto lr r\ u.t:lior
+ hp C f \ Q l 1 ~ f J i l
TnlrQl,,.. A t ~ r l o
\ J . ~ , , U ,, ,VJ.. Io. v V 1
t..u......
pv u u ..J V J . . ~ . L . £ l .::)J.U\ I
steal
will
be perfect here but any control
will
do. Give the deck one or two riffle shuffles,
keeping the 3-bard stackon top. Then, as
you reach for the Joker that the spectator is
holding, your left hand gets a pinky break
below the top two cards. .
The two cards that
you
are holding are the
two fugitives on the
run,
and you know that
you need to hide quick. So you my friend,
can hide out somewhere down south in
Florida, and you n hide up North in
Maine, making it
a
lot harder for the Joker to
find you
5.
Place the joker face-up on top of the deck
keeping the pinky break below the top three
cards. Perform
Marc Desouza's
Shape
Shifter Color change, visibly changing the
Joker into the first selection. A Snap change
where the card is held between thumb and
middle fingers on the s ide can also be used
here. After this first
color
change, you have
the first selection, an d below it the second
selection, both face-up followed by the face
down joker, the special joker, and the rest
of
the deck.
Once the Joker catches the
tu l
scent of
the first fugitive, he
is
ready to catch it.
Watch And
just
like that he found
you' hiding out on
the
beach in Key West
drinking your
Martini
6 With the two cards face-up, you can now
change the first selection into the second one
vi a
the Erdnase Color Change. I f you
prefer, you can instead side-steal the second
card from the top into your right hand palm.
Then, as the
TIght
hand passes over the deck,
it drops the card onto the face, making the
illusion
of
the first selection changing into
the second, magically.
«And, once
he s
caught the first fugitive, he
can squeeze the information out of him
about his friend's hideout, and all he has to
do is travel up to Maine, and arrest you
there -
7. At this moment, because yo u have two
cards face-up on top
o f
the deck, you can do
a double turnover and place the top card
of
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the deck into the middle. You can then snap
your fingers, and turn over the top card to
show the selection has returned.
Once
he s
caught both of you, you can't
escape. You can try, but you see he is too
good
8. Turn that selection face down, actually
place it into the middle
of
the deck, snap
your fingers, and then turn over the top card
(joker). As your right hand takes the joker
from off
th e
top
of
the deck, you do a one
handed preparation for the TILT with your
left hand.
9. Perform the TILT move, and then do a
double lift, showing the joker returned to the
top.
is very important now to point out his
hands, to show that they are empty, and that
he is just hanging ontohis Harley.
However, if you do leave him empty
handed, don t count your lucky stars just
yet. You see the Joker will never give up on
his search Even
if
he fails at first, he will
keep on searching...
10. Perform a double turnover, and then
thumb off the top card, which is the special
joker. Place the deck back down onto the
table, and concentrate on the one card in
your hands Give the Joker a spin on your
fingers, and then tu it over and reveal the
indexes of the two selections to have
mysteriouslyappeared in its hands
... until he finds both you, and you, and has
you by your necks
Afterthoughts:
you wish to be ultra
clean, then palm off the top card (joker) and
ditch it in your pocket. Also, change the
presentation to fit you.'
f
you like, you can
do this as a love effect; the two cards that
were selected by the couple have come
together with a little heart drawn around
them, the Joker playing the part of Cupid.
More importantly, do take the time
to make the special Joker, as this effect is
very well received by lay people Lots
of
jokes can be
t rown
in about the Joker's
Harley, and the biker outfit that he is
wearing, and so on, so play around with the
presentation and Enjoy the Effect
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The Single Double Thought
February, 1999
The
Following was created while reading
Marlo s The Cardician. This is a one-deck
version of Double Thought (reprinted
from 52 Amazing Card Tricks by Rufus
Steele -- also found on pg.3l ofCardician).
Effect: Two Spectators each think of a
card. They remove their cards from the
deck and place them face up on the table.
However, before each card is removed, the
performer takes out 2 cards and lays them
facedown on the table. When the face down
cards are turned over, they are the mates
of
the thought ofcards.
Method
All you need to know for this is
the
top card
of
the deck, as it will be your
key. We ll use the 10 ofDiamonds. Set
the
deck on the table, and instruct the spectator
to pull out a portion
of
the deck from the
center
(like
Hi du
shuffle} Have. him
remember the bottom card of the pulled out
packet, and place that. packet on top of the
deck. The selection is now on top of your
key card, the 10
of
diamonds.
Say: Keep thinking of your card, but don t
let.me know what it is yet. I want someone
else to think
of
a card, also. Take the deck
from the spectator and deliberately spread it
face up and invite a second spectator to
assist you. Say: I want you to
think of
any
card you wish. However, before
you
think
of
one
of
the cards, I shall remove one card.
While you are talking, look for the ten
of
diamonds in the spread and note the card to
the left of it. This is the card the first
spectator selected. etus assume that
it
is
the five
of
spades
Pick up the deck so the faces are towards
you, and spread Until you see the five
of
clubs (mate
of
selection). Take the card out,
and place it face down in front
of
you.
Spread the deck back out, still face-up,
in
.
front
of
the second spectator, and let
him
remove the card he was thinking of. This
card is laid face up on the table. We ll
assume it s the 2 of Diamonds. The cards lie
on the table
in
this position:
Face-up
D
Face-do-wn 5 C
Turn to the first spectator and ask him to
remove his card,
but
.immediately
add
Before you take
out
the card you are
thinking of: I shall
also
remove a card from
the deck. You now remove the 2 ofHearts
(mate of second selection), and being careful
not to show its face, place it on top of your
first face-down card so that it is right-jogged.
half way. The first spectator then removes
his card, and lays
it
face-up on, the other
spectator s card, also overlapping it to the
.right. The two
pairs
of
cards now lie
overlapped on the table in this fashion:
Face-up
5S
Face-down 5C 2H
Recapitulate what has happened, asserting
that you placed a card face down on the
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table for each spectator before he thought
of
a card.
ow
that everyone can see what
cards they thought of, you will show what
cards
you
laid down. Grasp your cards and
turn them over without separating them,
revolving them to the right. Now.the two
pairs on the table appear thus:
Face-up .2D 58
Face-up .2H 5C
Your cards appear to match the spectators ,
even to the point
of
overlapping the same
way.
lace
the tip
of
your right forefinger
on the top 58 and the tip of your right thumb
on the bottom 5C and draw these two cards
to the right a few inches:
2D 5S
2H 5C
This manner of showing off the matched
cards permits the effect
of
what you seemed
to have done sink in before you replace the
cards back into the deck
fterthoughts
Parts of what you just read
were quoted from the Cardician. I put
quotation marks wherever appropriate, and
changed the patter, and directions around to
fit the single deckmethod.
This is.a very good card effect, and if you re
interested in the original, check out The
Cardician.
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Your Signed Kung Pao Chicken
April, 1999
The Menu:
T he
following,
IS
my
presentation for the classic The Signed
Card by Bro. John Hamman. The
presentation, as you will see, was created
especially for the restaurant worker but it
can be used anywhere else as well. I will
not give away the effect here, but you can
find the original in Richard Kaufman's
Collected Almanac (pg. 125). For 'those
who know the effect, in the presentationyou
will see numbers in parentheses that will tell
you
which steps should occur at which part
during ,the presentation. I have been
performing this
restaurants hundreds of
times over,the last. few months and I know
that.this is very powerful. I hope you'enjoy
it, and try it out yourself.
The ppetizer
After the mystery fortune
cookie card is laid aside, the four chefs, of
the ,restaurant (4 aces) are introduced and
begin their magic. The selected, signed card
(the Kung Pao Chicken) is chopped, grilled,
and garnished by the first 3 chefs, while the
last chef, much to the spectator's dismay,
makes their food vanish completely. But
no t
to worry, because once the mystery fortune
cookie card is broken, the spectator can see
that his Signed Kung Pao Chicken is ready
to be eaten
Main Course: Have you ever been to a
Chinese Restaurant? You have? Well then
you know about the fortune cookies that
they give you, right? Well, we also have our
own fortune cookies here, and they are
actually card fortune cookies: (1) This will
be yours, but you won t touch or see it, until
after the meal, OK? Great Well, at our
restaurant, the McBicycle (2) we have 4
of
the best chefs in the world. (3) I will
introduce them to you a second, but first,
take a look at the menu. , 4) You have
plenty of things to choose from, so point to
anything appetizing that you see. (5) ,
Ahh... the Kung Pao Chicken Excellent
choice sir, excellent choice (6) Now
if
you
wouldn't mind, please sign your chicken
with this marker so we know that this - is
yours and
I ll
put the rest
of
the menu away
as we
won t
need t (7) No w as promised,
'these are the four, finest chefs in the land,
and the best part about the chefs, is that they
, will actually cook their food right in front
of
you You see they work as a team. 8) The
first chef chops up your chicken. The
second one grills it.
Th e
third one garnishes
it to make it look delicious. And th fourth .
one... makes the Chicken Vanish (9) But
don't get
ma d
at the chefs, its their job to
make your food vanish. l0 ) The rest
however, is
up
to you, because if you pick
,up some chopsticks, and brake open your
fortune cookie, you will see that your food is
ready to be eaten (11) ,
The Check
(1) Take out the Ace of Hearts
and place it face down to the side.
(2) Show the cardbox, pointing to the word
Bicycle.
(3) The remaining 3 aces are placed' face
down on the other side ofthe table.
(4) The deck is spread face-up.
(5) Card is selected.
(6) Card is signed, and rest of deck is cased
and pocketed.
(7) Elmsley Count the Aces and perform the
necessary displacements of the cards.
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(8) Do the necessary count, showing the four
different aces one at a time, as you explain
what each one does. Snap the last one, and
turn it face-up, showing card has vanished
(9) Show, apparently, all four aces.
(10) Perform the switch with the mystery
card, using the other two cards (ace,
selection) as two chopsticks. Show that the
mystery card is actually the signed piece o
chicken (card)
(11) Thank your spectators for the
thunderous applause, and in a restaurant,
tell the spectators that their food will
actually be served
a minute, and that you
hope they enjoy it and come back to the
restaurant again
ip
As you may already know, instead o
using the original switch at the end of this
effect, you can use Ken Krenzel s Monte
Plus Plus switch (Collected Almanac, pg.
xviii), which looks a
lot
more convincing.
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The urger
King
Card Trick
August 1,2000
This effect was created during the 2000
Florida' State Magic Convention where I
spent the whole weekend performing,
teaching, and learning magician-fooling card
effects that used psychology, subtlety, or
stooges. The original version of this effect
used all three. Then, while eating with some
friends at Burger King (hence the title), the
most direct method for the effect came to
me. I ended up showing it throughout the
convention, receiving great reactions. Since
then, I have gotten great response from
laymen as well. I hope you
t y
this
Effect: A spectator thinks of a card and the
magician finds it.
Method: While the cards are in your hands,
peek at the top card. Give the deck to the
spectator.
If
it is a magicianwhom you have
seen riffle shuffle before, you can ask him to
give the deck a quick shuffle. You can spot
whether he retains your key card on top or
not.
he does, then continue with the effect;
i
not, then perform something else. With a
layperson, there is no need to ask them to
shuffle, just simplyhand them the deck.
So the top card of the deck is your key card.
You now ask the spectator to cut the deck
into five piles.. As they do so, watch for
which pile has the key card. Next, ask them
to take the top card
of
each pile and place
them into their hand facedown, again
watching to see when they pick up the key.
Have them fan the five-card packet front
of them and think of any card.
O n
fact, to help you concentrate on your
card, I need you to' stick it out a little bit.
s the spectator up-jogs his thought of
selection, your body slowly starts turning to
. the side. Your head, meanwhile, stays
straight for another second, giving you
enough time to see which card they out
jogged. As soon as
yo u
spot the card, your
head follows your body, turning to your
side.
So right now, you should know exactly
where their card is in respect to your key
card. Let's say that when picking up the
cards form the packets, the key card was
taken second. Then, when fanning out' the
cards, the.middle card was up-jogged. Now
you know that their card is right above your
key card and you are set to reveal it any way
. you like. It s very important that you mow
exactly which card in the fan is your key
card, so you have no problem calculating
which one their selection is.
.While your head is still to the side, you
continue: Concentrate on that card. I want
you to stick it out
so
you almost don't see
the other cards there, just think about the
one you like. Have
yo u
got it?
Next have the spectator square up the five.
cards and drop them on top of any of the
packets and put the deck back together any
way they like and finish with a cut. As they
finish this, you tu back around. All you
have to do is recap everything that has
happened, go through the deck to find your
key card, calculate which one is their
seiection, and then reveal it.
For magicians, the most amazing thing to do
is to spread through the deck, take out their.
card and drop it on the table face down,
Hesitate for a few seconds; glance at the
deck, then back to the magician, then back
to the card on the table. Take a deep breath,
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mutter I think I got it, and then ask them
for the card they thought of. At this point,
most magicians will say: If you get this, I
will kill you. Have them turn over the card
on the table and then either get ready to be
worshipped or run for your life.
Afterthought:
This has honestly become
one of my favorite effects to perform while
sessioning with magicians and even
laypeople have had great reactions to this
effect. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
r
•
Hmm
.. .
Here is a thought: Be the best at what you do.
Don't just be the best card worker at your magic club or the best children's performer in your
area, but
be
the best magician that you can possibly be.
A kid, an adult, whoever, walks up to me after a show and asks if they can show me a
trick? Sure I say cheerfully,
with
a glee on
my
face that almost resembles enthusiasm.
I d
love to see a trick And so another rendition ofthe 21-card trick or the cops and robbers
ensues and I am left to ponder whether this horrid performance comes from lack
of
skill, lack
of
practice,
or
simply lack of care? Man, I m a mean spectator. .
Wow I ve never seen that one before
I feel bad for lying and for faking vivacity during that tainted performance but what else
was I supposed to do? I wonder why that person chose to waste both
of
our times? Does he not
realize how awful he is? ... And then the same question slowly changes to fit another situation,
wherein I ask myself: Why did that magician choose to waste that audience s time? Does he not
realize w awful he is?
Why
is it that we, magicians, choose to waste our audiences time so much? I firmly
believe in learning new things and any new skill only comes through practice; but this is where
magicians come
n
not lay people. The half-practiced routines and the poorly performed sleights
need to stay behind
the
closed doors ofmagic jams, get-togethers, and practice sessions. Only
the well-rehearsed and fully practiced routines need to be shown in paid performances.
Yes there are places where you can try out new effects: restaurants, bars, family reunions
- where a person attending anyone ofthese is too drunk to tell you that your pass resembles a
bad version
of
an overhand shuffle or not sober enough to realize that your French drop is
actually a defective Classic palm. But eventhere, take discretion at what'you perform
Magicians I call on all of you Repent for your sins Stop washing those dishes or
mowing
that
lawn Turn
off
that TV or computer; put down
that
book or that phone; stop doing
important things; cease trying to make an honest living; do what is right and pick up a deck
of
cards Before you forget the beauty of the Diagonal Palm Shift, the distinct perfection of the
Longitudinal Palm, the pure genius
of
the Green Angle Separation, or the simple simplicity of
the S.W.E. Shift, pick up that deck
of
cards Bee, Bicycle, Tally-Ho, it doesn't matter; just
shuffle Shuffle till your fingers hurt, then cull and side-steal for a
bit
until your fingers can t go
on, then riffle-stack for a breather, and then, and only then, practice your back palming
Or maybe not.
But
at least practice. Time is too valuable to waste; yours or your audience's.
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Four of a Kind
November 1998
The following effect is based on a Juan
Tamariz effect by the same name. His
method however requires a memorized
deck which in my opinion is not needed for
this type of an effect. The only thing the
following method requires is a four-card
stack and the chutzpah to lie to your
spectators.
Effect: The magician has a person pick a
card
bu t
hide it without looking at it so no
one knows its value. The magician then
claims that he
win
find the other three cards
that match the selection in value; He turns
over three random cards and leaves them
in
the deck face-up. All three however are
completely different
in
value.
When
the
selection is revealed it also is completely
different. Not to worry because afte r the
magician taps the deck withthe selection he
re-spreads the d ec k a nd the three mates
of
the selection ar e seen to be face-up in the
places
of
the other cards.
Methode To start
off
with you need to get
any four
of
a ki nd on top
of
the deck.
We ll
use the four sevens.
All
you have to do is
force one of the sevens in any way you like
but
make
sure to tell the spectator
not to
look t the c rd
just simply place it in his
pocket. or
j
list sit on it. the othe r th re e
sevens are on top of the deck once you have
forced the card either double undercut them
or overhand shuffle them to the bottom.
they are already on the bottom then you are
set to continue.
Holding the cards face-down you
no w
begin
to spread them left to right between your
hands. As soon as you start spreading your
right fingers steal the bottom card
of
the
deck and carry it b elo w the spread as if you
were culling it. Basically as your right hand
comes over the deck
to
spread the cards
your thumb touches
th e
top of the deck
while your right
hind s
middle fingertip
contacts the face
of the
bottom seven. As
your hands separate
to
spread the deck
squeeze the deck by pushing upwards with
the middle finger
an d th e
bottom card will
come loose.
No w sim pl y let it ride on your
right hand s fingers hidden by the spread.
Once you have spr ea d a bo ut 15 cards your
right fingers and
thumb
clamp a portion of
the spread and lift it
up
These are the same
moves you would do if you were to spread
the deck and separate it to have a card
replaced you just have a card hidden below
the spread and supported by your right
fing rs
Using the right hand s spread turn the top
card
of
the left-hand
pile
face-up. As you
u
it over comment
on
its value.
itis a
three say that that
must
mean that the
selection is also a t hr ee . Be very proud and
confident
of this
fact as you re about
togo
downhill from here. Leave the card face-up
and what you are
now
going to do is close
the spread in the right hand and drop the
whole thing over
th e
face-up card placing
one of those sevens directly above the three.
Remember that the .s even is riding face
down b elo w the spre ad . Make sure that it
remains the bottom card as you square the
spread and drop it
over the
left hand s pile.
You
no w
repeat the
same
exact moves two
more times spreading 15 cards further down
into the deck. Each time you reveal a
random card replace the right hand s
portion adding a seven above the indifferent
card. You should feel very confident that
you re going to find another three but when
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you turn over the second random card and
find it to
be
a king or a two or what not, be
very disappointed. Ask them for one more
chance and be even further upset by finding
the third random card. If two cards happen
to match than comment that the third one is
.simply bad luck. If you somehow happen to
turn over three identical cards, then just stop .
right there, put down the deck, carve a
pentagram or a 666 on the spectator's nice
wooden table, and walk out
of
the room.
If
all three cards are different, however,
continue with the effect. After showing all
three cards face-up, be very upset with
yourself
and
ask the spectators
if
they mind
if you start over. Once you receive their
permission you will begin to u over the
three indifferent cards face-down, when in
reality you will be performing a reverse
move created by Larry Jennings.
Remember that each random face-up card
has a face-down seven directly on top
of it.
So,
as
you spread the deck
and
get to the
first face-up card
in
our case, a three), you
are actually going to square up the face-up
card with
the
face-down seven that is above
it. Then, pinching it to the deck with your
right hand fingers frombelow, you will twist
your hand towards yourself, reversing the
entire right hand packet 180 degrees, and
finally place the double, still pinched as one,
on top of
the
left hand pile. What you have
just basically done is switched the three with
the seven
by
turning over two cards that
were face-to-face with each other.
After releasing the double on top of the deck
your right hand releases it and twists
forward 18 degrees back to its natural
position.
hat
you must do at this point is
spread the deck further to get to the second
face-up card, but making sure not to flash
the seven that is now face-up. To do this,
simply do a block push-off
of
10 cards, and
then spread one at a time until you reach the
second card. Perform the Jennings reverse
one more time again switching- the
indifferent card for the seven, and repeat the
spread and reverse a final time with the last
card. Finally square up the deck and set it
down on the table.
As you are spreading and turning the cards
supposedly face-down, mumble to the
spectators that their card must be a mate of
one of the three cards, but you're not sure
.which, so you
w
start over. Ask them to
u their selection face-up and upon seeing
that it is a seven, act like someone has just
punched you in the stomach. Don't overact,
but be very disappointed. Wait a little bit,
and then remember that because seven is a
lucky number, you might be able to do
something. Snap your fingers, sprinkle
some fairy dust (lint) and then re-spread the
deck, showing the other three sevens face
up. Ta-da
fterthoughts
The most important thing is
not to overact. Upon turning the second
indifferent card face-up and. seeing that it
does not match the first one, just act
surprised and disappointed. There is no need
to show your audience how well you played
Hamlet in your community play, simply say:
Oh... and if the need arises, followed by
an expletive or two.
Also, the three mates
of
the forced
cards may also be second, third, arid fourth
from the top
of
the deck instead of on the
bottom. This will allow you to cull them
from their respective positions, rather than
from the bottom of the deck where there
may be a chance of flashing. Enjoy
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Gigabyte Switch
- a trick for neo-luddites -
June, 2000
It
is incredible
how
in
the middle
of
the
night you can wake up, startled by your
brain, which,
in
your absence, has been
creating and developing a routine that is
beyond your wildest dreams. is one of the
greatest things in life, when, while mowing
,your lawn, you are jolted by an idea which
makes you
run
into the house, leaving dirt
and grass marks all over the house, just so
you can write down the idea before it flies
back out into unconscious-land. Which is,
how the following effectwas formed.
is a
trick with a message, something that is
perfect for today's day and age, and an
effect that can be performed at almost
any
venue, especially a computer convention.
Effect: A performerholds a piece of paper
that says in big bold letters: Gigabyte, As he
explains
what
each term means, he folds the
paper, showing the words: Megabyte,
Kilobyte, and byte, one at a time. Reflecting
on
how
with all this
power
and information
(bytes)'nothJ.nguseful has been done, the '
,magician unfolds the paper to showthat, ,,
both sides now read: You ve GotMail
Method: This effect is basically a bill
switch done with two pieces
of
paper. The
papers you ll have to make yourself but I
have provided the exact design in these
notes. Photocopy the page with the design
(and only that page, please
©
then cut out
the papers and glue them in the following
way:
Imagine that the audience is looking at the
pieces ofpaper. The two You ve Got
Mail pieces have to be glued together so
that when the audience is reading the
Message the right way,
the
other side that
you are seeing is upside down. With the
other paper, when the audience is reading
Gigabyte the right way, you have to be able
to read the word Megabyte the right way
also.
Once you have glued
th e
pieces
of
paper and
let them dry, you ll
need
to make the folds
for the,appropriate bill switch. The one that
I perform is the Jarle Leirpoll no-thumb tip
bil l switch. It is
just as
'effective
as
any
other switch without
the
awkwardness
feeling or looking of a switchthatuses a
thumb tip. ,You can
use
any switch you like,
though.
is a personal thing. Just fold the
, papers the right way and perform. The
following is the patter that I use:
Most
of
us
se
computers
in
our every day
lives, right? Well then m sure most
ofyou
knowwhat a Gigabyte is. Just as weight is
measured in kilograms orpounds
and
time
in seconds, the amount of information a
computer can hoid is measured in bytes. A
gigabyte ci:mtains a thousand megabytes,
which contains a thousand kilobytes, which,
in turn, contains a thousand bytes. Nowyou
would think, with all
that
information
available at the touch o fa button, humanity
woulddo something useful with
it
(Switch
occurs) However, the only thing that we
have
been
able to do with all
of
this
information ... is You've Got Mail
Afterthoughts: You ll
get a great laugh and
a lot
of
nodding heads at the end
of
this
trick. This is one of
my
favorite creations
and my audiences have really enjoyed it. I
hope yours do too
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·J 8
MEG YTE
BYTE···
YOU V
GOT
· ·M IL · I
., ;
i
Y \
~
A nO·
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, The ExistentialistMouse
April, 2000
A wonderful example of how creative magic
can be is Robert Neale's book Life, Death,
and Other Card Tricks. is incredible how
much meaning can be brought to a deck of
cards and I highlyrecommend the book, not
simply for material, but more importantly ,
for inspiring creativity.
While reading Franz Kafka one day,
I recalled a short fable
of
his about a mouse,
and upon finding it figured out a way to
incorporate the fable into a magic effect.
Effect: While telling the fable
of
a little
mouse, the performer brings out a little
plush mouse. As the mouse in the story is
eaten up by a cat, so the magician's mouse
disappears as welL
Requirements: The first thing you need is
the gimmick marketed, under the name
Raven or Bat. You also need alittle toy
mouse. You need it to be metal so it can
work well with the gimmick, however, be
sure to find the cutest one you can.
Method: The method should be obvious to
those who already own the gimmick. All
you need to do, at the conclusion of the
story, is make the little mouse vanish.
you wantto do the non-gimmick version of
this trick, perform your favorite coin vanish
with the little mouse. However, performing
sleight of hand will focus the spectator's
attention on your hands. . With the raven,
there is no possible explanation of the
vanish and so the spectator's are left not
only with a great fable to think about but
also with absolutely no explanation for the
magic.
A
Little Fable by
Franz
Kafka:
Alas, said the mouse, the world is
growing smaller every day. At the
beginning it was so big that
was
afraid I
kept running and running,
and I
was glad
when at last saw walls fa t away to the right
and left, but these long walls have narrowed
so quickly that am in the last chamber
already, and there in the corner stands the
trap that
must run into.
n
You only need to
changeyour direction,
7>
said the cat, and ate
it up.
Translated by Willa
and
EdwinMuir
As the last line is
being
said, cover your
hands over the mouse as if your hands were
the eat's jaws. Perform the vanish; then
slowly open up your hands to reveal
the
mouse has vanished.
Afterthought: ' I
don t
like gimmicks,
however, the Raven will, .allow you' to
perform some miracles. If yo u do decide to'
perform this trick, there is a great side
effect: Not only ca n you perform it for
intelligent adults wh o have a taste for
philosophy, literature, or both, but, you can
also do it for little devils, omitting the story,
and simply making a cute little mouse
disappear.
Oh, look, the magician has a cute rabbit
No, honey,
that s
just a big rat.
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rade Point ces
February, 1999
The following has become one ofmy most
performed effects at school. It is perfect to
perform
for
anyone who is attending school
and has a GPA - a grade point average that
ranges from 0.0 (pretty sad) to 4.0 (pretty
dorky). However, you can also perform it
for anyone who has ever attended school
and has ever had a GPA.
n
worst case
scenario,
you
can present this trick as a way
you used
to
cheat in high school or the way
that your children are cheating in school
nowaday. Whichever way you choose to
perform it, this trick has two stunning
climaxes
that
will blow away any audience.
Effect: The performer asks for an audience
member to tell him his GPA. Slightly
embarrassed at first, the spectator finally
confesses to his 2.7 GPA (almost a ' B
average).
The
magician takes out a 2 and a
7, representing the 2.7 GPA and places them
aside.
The
spectator then cuts the deck into
four separate piles and upon turning over the
top card
of
each pile he finds the 4 Aces,
designating an
A
on the homework, test,
exam, and final grade for the class,
respectively. When his GPA cards are
turned over they are now a 3 and a 9 making
the spectator very happy
Method:
To
start
off
with, place a 3 and a 9
of any suit on top of the deck. .You are
going to
ask
a spectator for their GPA, take
out the respective cards and then switch
those two for-the three and the nine.
I like to perform the Chris Kenner
Four for Four switch which can be found
in his book
Out
of
Control. Another great
switch was shown to me by Paul Cummins
that I believe was Ken Krenzel's Switchout
move. You can also perform a multiple top
change, or, if you don t like these types of
switches, then try the following: With the
three and the nine on the bottom of the face
up deck, out
jog
the spectator's GPA cards.
When stripping them out, add the 3 and 9
via the Vernon Strip out Addition. Hold the
four cards face-up, showing only the top
two. Then turn them face-down, drop them
on top ofthe face-down deck, and thumb off
the top-two cards onto the table. Although
this is not nearly as clean as a Kenner or
Krenzel switch, it works just
as well.
The final part
of
the effect is to perform a
spectator cuts to the four aces routine. There
are dozens ofversions published all
throughout magic literature so you should
not have a problem finding one that fits you.
When revealed, each Ace will stand for a
grade of A, thereby raising the spectator's
GPA.
There are two methods that I preferto use.
The first isDavidHarkey's Euro-Aces,
which is one
of
the
most
direct versions out
there. The spectator cuts, cuts, cuts, and
that's all there is to it. Other versions
require counting
of cards and re-dealing and
so forth, but for the cleanest version,
Harkey's is the
way to
go. Another great
version is from Chad
Long s
magnificent
effect, Shuffling Lesson. I was quite
disappointed to see the effect published in
Magic for Dummies, but
don t
let that throw
you off. The effect is remarkably simple,
but it is unbelievably strong.
. Afterthoughts: You can use either of those
cutting to the aces routines or any others.
Just have the deck set-up the way you need
before you do the switch.
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Honest Cheating
May 2000
One of the neat
things
about tbiseffect is
that it does not use the Out-to-Lunch
principle, yet the effect that it acbieves is
quite similar, that of the back of a signed
card changing. This can be performed for
anyone, regardless of age, and is pretty
stunning.
The
ending is a kicker that can or
cannot be included, depending on how you
are feeling that
day.
Another great thing
about this effect is that the subject chosen is
not forced and can be anything from
Biology to Basket Weaving 101 - the fact
that the subject is a free choice completely
frieslaymen andmagicians alike.
Effect: A spectator signs his name on the
face of a card. He is then asked for his least
favorite subject from his school
days. he
saysBiology, the words Biology Test are
written on the back of the card, along with
the test grade of F-. Telling the spectator
not to worry the magicianbegins to fix' the
grade.
First he
makes
the test grade vanish
completely off of the 'selection and then he
reprints it to say Biology Test A .
However, a teacher 'always remembers
givingout one bad grade, so someone has to
get it So, when the magician spreads the
deck he 'finds one card reversed. On the
back it has the biology test grade F- and
onthe face of it inbig black letters is, much
to hisdismay, the magician's ownname
Method: There is a small setup for this
effect. Take outtwo cards. Low spot cards
workbest becauseyou are going to have the
spectatorsignhisnameon it. You must also
use a red deck as trying to get a black
marker to showup on a blue backed deck is
not that much
un
For explanation
purposes, the two cards will be a 5 of
Diamondsand a 2 of Spades.
With the 5D held the long
way
write the
word Test followed by a large and bold
A+ in the lower halfof the card The top
bar of the letter' T should be a
few
millimeters above
n
parallel to the angel
on the back of the bicycle deck. The big
A should be a little bit bigger than the
letter T in test. Above this card place an
, indifferent card, also face-down. Abovethat
place an indifferent card, but this one must
be face-up. The last card that will go over
these three will be the 2 of
Spades.
On the
face of the 28 print your name in big bold
black letters. Be sure to use a good, fine
point Sharpie for all of the writing. Finally,
the four card stack is placed on top of the
deck. For easier handling later
on
ll the
routine it also helpsto crimp the
fifth
card
from the top ybending the' back,
of
it
downwards. This will allow you to' get an
automatical break below the.four card stack
as soon as you need it. 'With the stack on
top you are ready to begin:
Ask the spectator is he remembers taking
, tests in high school or college. Once he
answers, tell him not to worry: you're not
going to make him take
8
test, just simply
pick a card. Give the ,deck a cut but before
you complete it, get a pinkie-break above
the fourcard stack. Perform a riffle force by
riffling down the outer left comer until the
spectator says stop.
t
doesn't matter where
he says so, just 'simply pick the deck up at
your 'break and place the upper section
below the lower one. Because you need to
buy time at this point, so you can cleanly
pick up the break and do a quadruple
turnover, reach into your pocket at tbis time
and take out your Sharpie, handing it to the
spectator. Ask him to open it and as all of
his attention is placed on the marker, feel for
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the downward crimp. Pick up at that point
and perform your version of a double lift I
prefer a hit double lift, which, with a pinkie
break already below the four cards, is very
easyhere.
Once you ve turned over the four cards as
one (try to hide the front edge by tilting the
deck downwards), allow the spectator to
sign their name on it, as they would on a
test. Ask them to close up the marker, once
again taking their attention away from the
deck, and perform another quadruple
turnover as they do so. Take back the
markerand then take a step back awayfrom
them as you ask them about any particular
subject in school that they hated.
At this point, make sure that no-one is
behind you, and perform the following
move:
With the deckheld long-ways in your
left palm, with its back facing you (almost
as if you were
performing
an
S W E
Shift)
your thumb, just like getting ready for a
triple lift, picks up three cards at the back.
Your middle finger will hold these three
cards at the front end, and you will actually
lift off the three cards a few millimeters off
of the deck, and then move them down
towards the floor for an inch.
you are
holding the deck by its short ends, between
thumb
and fingers; th n when you move
those three cards downwards, they will be
completely covered by your palm and the
spectators will not be suspiciousin anyway.
Whatdoing thismoveactually does is reveal
the upper section of the Five of Diamonds,
the one that is blank, right
above the word
Test At this point, the spectator has told
you what his least favorite class was. Keep
him talking at this point as you need to buy
time. Ask him why he hated that class. As
he is telling you all this, you are writing
down the name of his subject.
f
he says
Chemistry, then the first thing you do is
write the word Chemistry in the blank
space above the word Test. You have now
finished with that five of diamonds. It has
the spectator s name on the front, and
Chemistry Test A+ on the back.
Younow gesture with the right handand the
marker and say something like: Really?
That s unbelievably fascinating. At the
same time as you are gesturing with your
right hand, your left hand s index finger
bends outwards over the upper edge of the
deck and pulls the whole thing down,
squaring it with the three down-jogged
cards
Remember to keep th back of the deck
facing you so no-one gets a flash yet, and
write the words Chemistry Test on the
back of the top card, the one that actually
hasyour name on its face. At this point you
can bring your hands down and allow the
spectators to see what you have written.
Remember to keep your pen gestures to a
minimum.
f
the spectators see the back end
of the pen move a lot while you re writing,
they will be surprised to see that all you
have written are two words. Ask the
spectator what grade they would have
received if theywere to get a Chemistry Test
right
now
Theywill usually answerD or F,
sowrite that down big bold letters.
To psychologicallyprove that this is still the
spectator s card, pick up the quadruple as
one with your right hand. Use your right
hand s fingers to hide the thick edge in the
front, and your thumb at the back Lift the
four cardsup to your mouth andblow on the
ink, as
if
helping it to dry. Then tu your
hand 180 degrees towards the audience and
blow on the other side. This shows both
sides
of
the card to the audience without
being over-showy. Replace the four cards
back onto the deck, rub the
ink
with your
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fingers, proving that it has completely dried
and then perform a quadruple turnover.
Check: The top face-up card has the
spectator's name on the front and
Chemistry Test A+ ali the back. Below it
is an indifferent face-up card followed by a
face-down indifferent card, followed by a
face-up card with your name on front and
Chemistry Test F-) on back, followed,
finally, by the balance of the deck.
Pick up the top two face-up cards as one.
Rub them against the top of the deck and
then perform a double turnover, showing
that the back
of
the five
of
diamonds is now
completely blank You have completely
erased the grade from the grade-book. After
· showing the double 'onboth sides, hold it so.
it's left edge (when
it s
face-up) is touching
the right edge of the face-down deck. Then,
· as you reach forward to pick up the marker
from the table with your left hand, you
perform a K.M. Move
(Tony.
KardyrofEdward Marlo) which' steals that
indifferent card from behind the five of
diamonds, and places it on top
of
the deck,
· face-down.
You are now clean for the most part. Give
the card a little spin on your fingers or a
little snap and
tu
it over to reveal the A+
printed on the card instead of the F-. As you
turn over the card with your right hand, use
your left hand to give the deck a Charlier
cut, placing that face-up cardwithyour
name on it into the middle of the deck. All
that is left is to remind the spectators that a
good teacher never forgets giving out an F-.
With that, spread the deck face-up on the
table, revealing a face-down card that has
that F- printed on its back. Here, I like to
finish with this line: Well,
if
you got the A,
then it can 't be you. So tell me, why does it
always have to be me? This line is said in
a somewhat ironic tone and gets a good
laugh every time..
Afterthoughts: The kicker at the end gives
the effect a formal ending. However, you
may finish by just giving the spectator the
card to keep with the A on it. Also, and here .
is an idea to play with: Instead of using the
lower section of the card to write the word
'test' on, use the lower.
And instead
using the word
t st
write in the local area
code number instead Then, instead of
downjogging the three cards,· upjog them.
Then ask the spectator for their phone
number and instead
of
writing a word like
Chemistry, write down those digits. So
now, you have a card with the telephone
number
of
a person
you ve
just met. What.
you pre-write or pre-draw on that card is up
to you. have performed it by pre-drawing
a small deck of cards with the matching
selection rising out
of
it. Try that one or
come up with anything else you think
ill
fit
the situation.
._ _ .0- __ . _ ._ _ ..__ _ _ _ ._. _ • _..•._
_ ...•.._._'.
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Pandora s Card Box
February, 2000
I love performing close-up magic while
standing in front o an audience of
to 20
people: This type o situation is what I
enjoy the most, along with sitting on a
carpet with a group of 5 people or
fewer.
I
reallyget to knowmy spectators and they, in
turn, get to know me and my magic. This is
why I love close-up magic so much. Often,
however, it is very hard to end such an
intimate show. When working with just a
deck
o
cards; you can go on for hours, but
you must learn ow to stop, and I mean
stop
This is one o my favorite closer
effects, which definitely gets a great
reaction.
Effect: Three cards are selected, signed, and
lost in the deck. The first is found
underneath the card-box. The second one,
the magician claims, will actually jump
inside the card-box. Upon opening it,
however, a miniature card-box is
found
and
inside, a miniature replica o the second
selection.
In
a flash, however, that
miniature card changes into the real thing,
spectator s signature and all. For a grand
finale, the magician snaps his fingers and
tells the spectator to open up the miniature
card-box - the same
orie
that they just saw
empty a second ago. Upon opening it, the
third signed selection is found folded inside
The audience gives the magician a round of
applause and proceeds to slowly and calmly
whip out their wallets and hand over all of,
, their cash and credit cards.
Method: For this effect you will need a0
, regularbicycle deck and a miniature version
that can be found at magic or novelty
shops.
Thesetiny bicycle decks are exactlyone half
the size of a standard deck and to a lay
woman are the cutest things to hit the earth.
All you have to do is place anyone o the 52
miniature cards inside the mini card-box,
(face-down when the half-moon side is up)
and then place the mini-box inside
0
the
normal card-box. The normal sized
duplicate of the miniature card should also
be on top of the deck. When performing,
my card-box is set-up from the beginning
and is in my pocket. I take it out as if to
feint putting away my cards, but then, after
the begging has ceased, decide to show just
onemore. 1
0
place the card-boxclose to my
body and off to the right and I am ready to
begin.
Begin by having three cards selected.
The
second spectator has to be forced the
duplicate
the miniature card
Once the
three cards have been selected, you need to
get them back and control them to the
needed positions.
Start with the third selection first. This is
the one that will later be found folded inside
the miniature box, so you need to control
this one to the bottom. When having it
replaced, keep a pinkie.break below it and
then double undercut or pass it to the
bottom. The second and first cards have to
be controlled to the top, but they should not
disturb the selection at the bottom. So,
swing cut half the deck into the left hand,
o
and have the second spectator replace their
card into the half that was originally the top
half o the deck. This time keep a pinkie
break above the selection (actually between
the second and third selections) and perform
a pass or doubleundercut. Repeat the swing
cut again and have the first selection
replaced over the second one, and control
both to the top, while at the same time
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bringing that third selection back ,to the
bottom of the deck.
Check: The top card of the deck is the first
selection and below it is the second. Then
comes the balance of the deck with the third
selection on the bottom. All the cards are
.face-down but you will now change that.
While telling
the
spectators how you are
going to
find
their cards, perform a half-pass
with the third selection, reversing it on the
bottom
of
the deck.
Tell the first spectator that finding their card
is not too hard, especially
i
you cheat and
look through the deck. As you say this line,
you perform the card-under-the-glass move,
loading the first selection underneath the
card-box. (For great card-under-glass work
read or watch J.C. Wagner, Doc Eason, or
Chris Power.) Remember:
As
your left hand
spreads the pack on the table, be sure not to
flash the bottom face-up card.
You are now one card ahead of the
spectators so you can do what you like; I
preferto close up the deck on the table, pick
it up, and pretendto take
out
card invisibly
and throw it up in the air. My finger then
follows the imaginary path until the card
lands underneath the card-box.
t this point two things are going to occur at
the same time. As you tell the spectator to
reach out and
tu
over the card
underneath
the .card-box, you will perform a mercury
card fold, from Hugard and Braue s Expert
Card Technique. Because you half-passed
the bottom card earlier, when it is folded, it
will be backs out so as to build up the
climax at the end. The folded card will now
be below the deck, hidden by the left hand s
fingertips, so a glimpse at the bottom
of
the
deck will not give anything away.
Hold the deck in the left hand, and again,
pretend to take out
n
imaginary card and
throw it out, but this time, tell the spectators
that it has landed inside the card-box. Let
them open up the
box nd
be very surprised
when they take out
the
miniature box. At
this point, take the miniature box from them
before they get a chance to open it. Look at
. it on all sides, and then, using
just
your
index finger kick
open
the front. Tilt the
box forward so everyone can see one face
down card inside.
The following motions are very important:
Ask the spectator to
put
up his hand and
shake the card
out
onto his palm.
Remember that it is still face-down, so build
up the effect
s
much as possible. Your
spectators should almost be screaming out
. loud: «Could it be the card? Could
it
be the
card? Then,
just as
you feel that your .
spectators can t hold
b ck
any longer, take a
step back and allow
the
spectator to
tu
over his card. At this point, everyone in the
.audience will let out a breath and then start
, looking at each other, muttering: «Can you
believe he just did that?
(psychological Note: Whenever you have a.
group
of
spectators, they will always tu to
each other,
as if
someone else might have
the answer to
the
mystery they just
witnessed. This is
the
absolutely best time
to load, steal, palm, do whatever you Iikel)
At the exact moment
the
mini-card is being
turned over, the folded card on the bottom of
the deck should be loaded inside the mini
card-box. To do this in
th e
quickest and
most efficient manor, after you kick open
the flap with your index finger, bend it all
the way back so
th t
the card-box is
completely open. (Note: You must also rip
off
the little side hinges of the card-box to
allow completely smooth loading.) you
performed the mercury card fold correctly,
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then the inner right comer of the folded card
will be in a shape of a
N
The right hand,
holding the mini-boxmoves below the deck,
and lets that inner right corner of the folded
card glide directly into the opening of the
, card-box. This has to be one smoothmotion
done in no more than two or three seconds
as the spectators tum over their selection
and gasp in amazement. Right after the
load, your hands separate, and your right
hand closes-up the card-box by pushing the
flapback up and inside using your index and
middle fingers. Set the mini card-box in the
middle of the table and forget about it.
the spectator s minds, they have just seen a
card-box with one mini card inside and
nothing else. In the next visual frame of
their mind, the mini card-box is sitting on
the table, and you are standing several feet
away from it.
Meanwhile, the spectators have all passed
around the mini-card and discussed how
cute it is. Take it back into the right hand,
and remember that the actual selection that
matches the mini-card is on top of the face
down deck, resting in your left hand. Look
at the spectators and act as
if you have just
thought
of
something. Motion to the first
spectator and ask him
if
he is still holding
onto his card (or if it is on the table), and
mention the fact that his had his signature on
it while the little one doesn t have the
second spectator s signature on its
face As
you look towards the spectator to say this
line, you perform a top change, switching
the mini-card for the real one. Two seconds
later, when the spectators look back at your
hand, you will now be holding the actual
signed, second selection. They will do a
double take and once again be completely
lost. All you need to do is smile and drop
the second selectiononto the table.
The effect is now over in your
mind
The
final selection is already inside the mini
card-box and all you need to do is build up
the finish. Do your best here. Askthem
if
it
would be amazing if you can make another
mini card appear inside the mini-box just
where the second one was
found Saying
this will emphasize the fact that the
spectators saw the mini-box, empty after the
mini card was taken out. They will all nod
in agreement and wait in anticipation to find
a mini-card inside. You, however, have
somethingbetter in stock for yourwonderful
audience.
Showyour hands completely
empty
slowly
pick up the card-box and open it up so it
faces the audience. Slowly pull out the
folded card half way and if you like, let a ,
spectator pull it out completely, and unfold
it themselves and find it to be their selection
with their signature
fterthoughts This is a killer, killer,
closing effect. Not only does it have four
distinct climaxes (card under box, mini-card
appearance, mini-card change into real card,
folded selection inside box) but it also
embodies several sleights, techniques,
misdirection and body language methods
that all
to, rather than take away from,
the fmal effect. Mastering this effect and
performing it smoothly shows that not only
can you perform sleight of hand well, but
that you also have a firm understanding of
misdirection, audience control,and many
psychological aspects
of
magic. I sincerely
hope that you
try
out this routine and see
how well it is received by audiences.
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/
.I think, therefore I twist
August, 2000
Once
in
a while you will happen to stumble
onto an intelligent audience. Not too often,
granted, but it does depend on where you
perform.
If
you see the people nodding their
heads when you mention philosophy or the
name Descartes, then I would perform this
effect. If not; you re still OK because the
good thing about this effect is that it can be
done without the patter completely and still
be pretty amazing. However,
if
you find an .
intelligent adult or two, perform the
following effect for them, featuring
the
great
1in century philosopher, Rene Descartes.
Effect:
This daring card trick asks the
question:
you don t thinkyou exist do
y
. then disappear? Three kings are taken out.
of the deck representing three philosophers.
While discussing Rene Descartes
: philosophy: Cognito ergo sum - I think,
therefore I am the magician. makes the
. king
of
spades (representing Rene): trim
face-up, face-down, and then completely .
disappear.
Method: For this effect you need a blank
faced card with a
back
that matches your
deck
Begin with the blank card on top of the
face-down deck. Spread the cards face-up
between your hands and outjog three kings:
two reds and one black. Make sure that the
black king is below the two red ones.
If
the
cards are not automatically in that order, you
can simply re-outjog the black king, or you
can use two black kings and one red instead,
if
they are
in
the right order. Which cards
you use doesn t matter. One just needs to
contrast the other two since it will represent
Rene Descartes.
2. With the three kings out-jogged you need
to perform Vernon s Strip-Out addition.
.Briefly: the blank card (on the bottom
of
the
face-up deck) goes
into
a high gambler s
cop position. With the card gripped, your
left hand
moves forward to strip out the
three kings, adding the blank card to the
bottom. The four-card pile stays the left
hand while your right hand sets the deck
down on the table face-down.
Your right hand now holds four cards face
up, in order, from the face: Red King, Red
King, Black King,
lank
Card. I will first
describe the technique
of
the routine and
then the patter.
3. Left hand pushes
the
first red king to the
right. The right hand takes it, turns it face
down and places it on the bottom
of
the
packet. This is then repeated with the
second red king.
4. Take the four-card packet into biddle grip.
· Your left-hand index finger will go
underneath the packet and pull the bottom .
face-down card to
the
left. The middle
finger will then contact
the second face
down card from the
bottom
and pull it to the
left as well. It should look like you have a
· three-card spread with the top card being a
· face-up black king.
The
top card, however,
is actually a double, with the blank card
face-up behind the king. Using your right
hand turn the double face-down and square
up the cards.
Push the top face-down card to the right and
take it with the right hand. Use your right
hand s fingertips to flip over the three cards
in the left hand face-up, While gesturing
with the face-down (supposed) king, push
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the top card of the left hand forwards for
about an inch, exposinganotherred king.
Place the face-down card below the left
hand pile, but in-jogged an inch. Square up
the three (four) cards from the sides, but
leave each one still stepped an inch
forward from the one below it. The
spectators should be able to see an inch of a
face-down card, an inch of the middle red
king, and see the second red king in its
entirety on top.
5. Square up the spread, patter for a second,
and re-spread, pushing the top two cards to
the right. Hold the last two cards as one
remember the blank card is hidden face
down below the face-up black king. Again
form the step-display by lining up the three
cards at their long
edges
but leaving each
one outjogged an inch above the one below
it.
6. Square up the spread again, patter, and
then perform the first 1
moves
of
an
E1msley
count: Holding the cards in the
right hand, use your left hand to take.the top
single card (face up red king). As your left
hand is taking the singlered king, your right
hand does a multiple push-off of the. two
kings (face-up red and black) This goes
over the first kingandoutjogged an inchjust
like in the previous displays. This leaves a
single face-down card in your right hand,
which you then tu over to reveal .a
completely blankcard
If the spectators wishto grabthe blank card,
let them. You want to take as much heat off
of your hands as you want. However, I
prefer not to interrupt the flow of the trick
and continue straightintothe last phase:
7. Take th blank card and insert it between.
the two r kings. Don t forget that the top
red king has a black king hidden behind it.
Re-adjust the spread if you need to so at
least an inch of each of the lower two cards
IS
seen.
8. You will now perform a version of a
paintbrush
.change.
It s very simple here:
Your left thumb and fingers are squeezing
the three card spread, slightly on the sides.
Your right hand s index and middle finger
cometo the outer end
of
the spreadand push
back the top card(s) until they line up with
the blank card. Without a hesitation, use
your index finger to push forward just the
top card, making the illusion that you just
painted the black king onto the blank card.
This is
f
wonderful color change and will
get a great reaction from your audience. To
end you can simply show the cards and
throw thembackon top
of
the deck,palming .
out the blank card at a later time. Or, if you
wish to be clean, you can use the gambler s
cop to steal the blank card when you l t
the
audiencecheckout the three
Kings.
resentation (1) nthe 17
century there
was a philosopher by the name
of
Rene
Descartes who came up with the theory:
Cognito ergo sum - «1 think therefore 1
am. He became very famous for this but
what a lot of people don t know is how he
cameupwiththis idea.
(2) You see, one day,Rene was hanging out
with two of his philosopher buddies and
they decided come up with a theory
relating thinking and being. They all sat
down, and after about an hour, the fi
top related