ORGANIC, a study on engineering miracles

Written by

Dan and Dave Buck

Special thanks to

Suren Seron, Van Tran, Brad Webber, John Lovick, Chad

Nelson, Derek DelGaudio, and Ricky Smith

Copyright © Dan and Dave Buck, 2008

All Rights Reserved. No part of this book, text or

illustrations, may be reproduced in any form without

permission of the publishers.

Published October 31, 2008 by www.dananddave.com

Introduction

It was a sunny afternoon on July 11, 2006 when I

squeezed into the back seat of my friend Suren’s Toyota

Prius for what was the start of a 30-day road trip

across the US. I was joining two other friends of mine,

Brad and Van. We were all setting out to make a

documentary Suren had written and I was the cameraman.

With barely enough arm room in the back to practice, I

was relieved when it was my turn to sit in front,

whether driving or not. When driving, especially

through the Midwest, the long monotonous hours forced

me to think of new ideas and effects. I would then fill

the pages of my Moleskine notebook when we switched and

work out the details with my cards in hand.

Being with my friends every second of every day allowed

me to open up without fear when performing magic for

them. I could tell they were getting a bit bored with

the card tricks, so I decided to branch out, and like a

jazz musician, I began to roll with it. I could go into

a trick without a clear outcome in mind and because

they were my friends, I didn’t care if anything came of

it. This new attitude opened up my thinking; I was free

and could do anything. This is exactly what a magician

should be capable of so the road trip was a perfect

opportunity to push the limits of thought.

Suren, Brad and Van were not only my inspiration to be

spontaneous, but were also my test audience. I would

make notes of the effects and refine them in

performance for people we would meet and interview for

the documentary.

Organic is a collection of some of my favorite moments,

tricks and ideas that I had on the trip, as well as a

few ideas Dave and I have added to since. Admittedly,

it’s a branch far from our roots, but we have grown and

will continue to grow. I hope you enjoy the journey.

Dan Buck

October 31, 2008

Engineering Miracles

Miracles, which are what we’re calling the effects

herein, are our interpretations of real magic performed

freely in everyday environments. They have stemmed from

a diverse study of the art and are the reaction to

improvisational thinking.

Magic vs. Miracle

As magicians, we use tools to achieve an effect or a

trick. We call this process magic. However, if we had

the ability to rid ourselves of these tools (i.e.,

playing cards, coins, notepads...all of which we carry

on an invisible utility belt ready to amaze), then

procedure is removed and the magic becomes a miracle.

Let us explain. Anytime a tool is presented, whether it

is cards or coins or if you’re a mentalist, a notepad,

you’re providing an excuse and lessening the effect by

turning it into a trick, rather than a miracle.

Additionally, by giving presentation and patter you’re

acting out of rehearsal and practice, which also hints

to a method. Miracles can only be achieved out of

complete spontaneity and with no apparent reason or

excuse for whatever props being used.

To achieve a miracle, there are two modus operandi.

One, which is perhaps a more traditional approach, is

through a premeditated process that usually requires

preparation. And two, from which most of the miracles

herein have created, is an approach we call improv.

Improv, or improvisation, relies on a rich knowledge of

methods and effects and allows the magician to perform

miracles spontaneously without preparation.

Premeditated

Several examples are described in this journal for

premeditated magic. These effects were planned and

arranged using props indigenous to the environment.

Therefore, it was often necessary to delay the

presentation with a subtle excuse of absence as the

effect was set up.

The effects described in this journal dependent on

premeditated modus operandi are Mannequin, Straw,

Cartel, Window, Bookstore, Resurrection, Deliquesce,

and Sealed & Revealed.

Improv

The most direct approach, improv, allows one the

freedom to achieve miracles spontaneously. Usually both

the method and effect were unknown during presentation;

therefore, both had to be improvised in tandem.

It is unlikely that improvised miracles can be achieved

regularly, as they predominantly rely on situation and

environment. Because these factors are constantly

changing, the moment of the effect will rarely be

duplicated. For example, even though any one of the

effects outlined herein might be superficially suitable

for a situation, it won’t become a miracle unless it

derives naturally.

The effects representative of this approach are Tumble,

Edamame, Sealed & Revealed, Deliquesce, and

Resurrection.

Final Thoughts

It’s imperative your audience is unaware of any ruses.

This includes the use of tools, patter or any excuse

that presents a method.

By shaping effects around your surroundings, they will

more likely be perceived phenomenally.

In conclusion, we understand both these approaches rely

on a diverse knowledge of methods and have therefore

provided available resources to learn the sleight of

hand necessary. For certain effects, we even provide a

brief description of the method. We have also included

a few sleights that can be adapted into your own

improvised miracles such as Rigged, Blinded, Joker

Tracking, and Shake & Bake.

This manual is more than anything an outline of ideas,

not a “how to”. We wish you inspiration.

- - -

Note: Rather than mimic our methods, we urge you to see

past the ruses and realize it’s nothing but confidence

and keen intelligence, both, which can be developed to

create your own miracles.

Contents

Tumble

Rigged

Cartel

Sidekick

Edamame

Subway Renovation

Joker Tracking

Resurrection

Blinded

Sealed & Revealed

Deliquesce

Autocatch

Strawgami

Shake and Bake

Mannequin

Tumble

LOCATION: LAUNDROMAT

With such a small car and lots of equipment, packing

light was essential. Likewise, it was necessary to step

into a laundromat every now and again.

One day while at a laundromat, Brad asked to see some

magic. This is what happened:

“Choose a card...Now place it back in the deck and

shuffle...Your card is lost.”

With a nod from Brad, I took back the cards and placed

them in my pocket. At this point, I still had no clue

as to where this effect was going but that all changed

when I noticed a tumbling clothes dryer in the

distance.

I took off my pants and placed them in the dryer. One-

by-one the cards started to appear until the dryer was

full of tumbling cards. My friends look confused while

I was half naked and cold.

I asked Brad to open the door to the dryer and remove

the pants.

“It would seem as if all the cards fell out of my

pocket and are now at the bottom of the dryer. However,

all but one card fell from my pocket.”

As I pointed to my pants pocket, Brad reached in and

removed only one card, his selection.

Method:

Secretly remove the fifty-one indifferent cards leaving

the selection secured in the pocket as you toss the

pants into the dryer. From this point on the effect is

entirely self-working.

It was this effect that triggered a stream of

improvisational magic that would continue throughout

the trip.

Rigged

The concept of tossing a coin into the air and calling

“heads” or “tails” is commonly used to settle mediocre

disputes. Now imagine if you could control the outcome

of that toss.

The action of the toss appears to be legitimate,

however, the coin does not flip over at all. To better

understand what is actually happening, spin a coin on a

flat surface and wait for it to begin wobbling. The

technique you use to flick the coin into the air will

cause it to wobble in this fashion, and never turn

over. So if you flick it heads-side up, it will remain

heads up in the air and land that way flat on the palm

of your hand.

The method is very simple; if you’re able to snap your

fingers, you can do this. Just place a coin between

your right thumb and middle finger, gripping the coin

at the extreme edge. Position your thumb and middle

finger as if you’re about to snap them.

Swing your right wrist upward gently as you snap your

fingers against each other.

Note that the right middle finger is angled upward such

that the “snapped” coin is also propelled upward, into

the air. The coin will wobble as it rises through the

air but it will never revolve completely.

While the coin is in the air (or before you toss it),

you can predict how it will land. To do this, just note

which side is uppermost between your right fingers

before the toss. Also, it’s customary to catch the coin

on your right palm and rotate your entire hand palm

down on the back of your left hand. If you will carry

out these actions after the toss, be sure to call out

the side opposite of whichever side is uppermost before

the toss. For example, if you control the toss so that

the heads side lands upward on your right hand, call

out “tails” so that when you smack the coin against the

back of your left hand, you will have successfully

predicted the outcome.

Precisely how you predict the outcome will change how

the effect is perceived. If you stare intently at the

airborne coin and call out the outcome as it spins, it

appears you have somehow gauged the behavior of the

coin in a superhuman ability to follow the coin’s

rotation. If you call out the outcome before you toss

the coin, the implication is of a more psychic nature.

With practice, you will learn to get into this snap

position with one hand. And with a little finesse, you

can actually get the coin to appear to have been

flicked by the thumb, as is traditionally done when for

a coin toss. One subtlety I use when tossing the coin

in the air is to start with the thumb and middle

fingers pointing downward, toward the floor, and in the

action of swinging my wrist upward to throw the coin, I

snap. I also extend the thumb up like a hitchhiker to

give the subtle impression that I “flicked” the coin

with my thumb rather than a snap.

Cartel

LOCATION: CONVENIENCE STORE

We spent long hours on the road and would make frequent

stops to hydrate and use the restroom. I remember one

instance at a gas station convenience store with Suren

behind me at the checkout counter. Our items were

scanned and the attendant said, “That will be $23.84.”

Never without a deck in my hand, I spread through the

cards removing a 2 and a 4 and said, “Here’s 24.”

Suren knew I was joking, but the attendant looked at me

like I was an idiot. I guess I was a bit serious about

it. Anyway, I proceeded to swipe the cards through the

credit card terminal to the amazement from both of them

that the transaction actually went through. I should

have asked for 16¢ in change.

Method:

Start with your credit card on the bottom of the deck.

As the two cards are removed from the deck, simply

remove the credit card discreetly adding it to the back

of the cards. Make sure the orientation of the credit

card matches that in which the terminal requires it to

be swiped.

Sidekick

Having a partner in magic, whether it’s a friend,

assistant, brother or in our case, a twin, has many

benefits. We know we could really be messing with

people since we look alike, but right now that’s just

not in the cards. What I mean by beneficial is the

ability to know each other’s train of thought and being

able to exploit it quickly and secretly. This allows us

to perform miracles beyond the norm of a simple card

trick.

What follows are just a few ideas we have used over the

years.

Glass:

In 2006 at our best friend Ricky Smith’s graduation

party in San Luis Obispo, I was asked to make a card go

through the window. I actually get this request often,

as everyone seems to have seen Blaine do it on TV.

Usually I shrug it off, but this time I was feeling it.

Actually, Dave was near and I just knew he was thinking

what I was thinking. Maybe it’s a twin thing.

I had a card selected and signed. When the card was

returned, I immediately palmed it out and handed off

the deck to be mixed. While the deck was being shuffled

I placed my hand casually behind my back and Dave

casually brushed by, taking the card. In less then 15

seconds, the card was stuck to the outside glass with

some saliva. I sprung the cards toward the window and

the rest is history. This effect kills.

Strangely, during a different performance of the above

effect, I somehow managed to palm out the wrong card.

However, since no one was really paying attention to

the value of the card or the fact that it was signed,

everyone thought the card really did go through the

window. Gotta love performing for a drunken audience.

Glass may also be done, and I would say enhanced, by

using a car window. However, because the use of your

own car, or the car of an accomplice, is needed, it’s

important your spectator believes it’s a random car.

In the past I have forced a court card such as the King

of Diamonds so that right before the cards are sprung,

I can casually flash the King of Hearts to the

spectator in hopes that she believes it was her card

she saw. However, with good technique and presentation,

your audience will have no reason not to believe the

selection is in the deck right before you spring the

cards.

Bookstore:

While in Portland, visiting the first Starbucks was an

experience I took in along with a delicious vanilla

latte. We spent some time in Powell’s bookstore too,

one of the largest bookstores in the US.

Standing in front of Powell’s, I asked a gentleman to

help me with something. I told him I worked for the

bookstore and we were conducting a fun little survey.

“Think of your favorite playing card and then tell me

what it is.”

After telling me his card, I proceeded to locate the

card in my deck, bringing it to the top. I removed a

marker from my pocket.

“This will make sense in a minute, I need you to sign

the card. And also write the title of a book on the

card. The book that has had the most impact on your

life.”

Once the card had been signed, I had him return it to

the deck, which I gave him to hold.

I paused, looked at him, and asked if he thought this

was weird. He didn’t know.

“What is the name of the book?”

As he told me the name of the book I placed my hand

just above the deck he was holing and said take out

your card.

After a brief moment of amazement and confusion, I told

him there was a reason I asked for the title of the

book. We proceeded to walk into the bookstore in which

I asked customer service to locate the title; he

already knew where it was so we proceeded accordingly.

When there I had him take the book from the shelf and

shake it upside down as I took a step back. His

favorite card that he signed fluttered to the floor and

landed face up.

It was a priceless experience for us all.

Method:

It’s possible to pull this off with one sidekick but I

used two, and for good reason. Brad was listening in on

the conversation through a cell phone call we had made

just before my approach. My phone was in my pocket but

on speakerphone, so he was able to hear the book title.

Van stood near the entrance ready for me to discreetly

hand her the selected card as we walked through.

While approaching the customer service desk, Van

quickly rendezvoused with Brad, handing off the card

for him to plant in the book. By doing this, I

eliminated any suspicion of an accomplice since Van

never needed to come near the book.

We obviously had an advantage of using one of the

largest bookstores, so it was unlikely that the chosen

title wouldn’t be in stock. A library can also be used

and in fact would eliminate the dilemma of your

spectator picking up the wrong copy, as there are

usually multiple copies on the shelves in bookstores.

Additional notes:

In conclusion one might ask why the use of a playing

card was integrated into the effect when the outcome

could have been achieved with a business card, napkin,

piece of paper or any other small object that lays

flat, fits in a book, and can be vanished. Yes, these

are legitimate concerns it would be best to use

whatever is available to you at the time and proceed on

with the effect.

Edamame

LOCATION: SUSHI RESTAURANT

Just about every sushi restaurant serves edamame before

the meal, so if you eat Sushi, this effect might be of

interest.

Effect:

Out to dinner with some fellow friends, a bowl of

edamame arrives and slowly starts to disappear as the

pods are eaten one-by-one. One pod remains, everyone is

eyeing it but you quickly take it and strip the beans

out with your teeth into your mouth.

“Watch this.”

Drop the beans into your hand and show an empty pod.

You slowly begin to wave the pod over the beans when

all of a sudden they vanish from the hand and the pod

appears to be whole again. It can be handed out for

examination as everything is really back to normal. The

beans are back inside the sealed pod.

Method:

While eating the edamame, secretly retain 3 beans in

your mouth and discard the empty pod. When ready to

perform the effect, grab a full Edamame pod with 3

beans and act like you are removing them with your

teeth in the normal way you would eat Edamame. Drop the

3 beans that have been loaded into your mouth into the

hand that is not holding the bean pod. Now perform

David Williamson’s “Striking Vanish” (Williamson’s

Wonders, page 17) and show the beans have traveled back

inside the pod.

An alternate method is to have a pod finger palmed so

that you can really remove the beans from the pod with

your teeth. Now, at the moment you spit the beans into

your hand you switch the two pods and carry on.

Subway Renovation

The following is a subtle improvement on our effect

“Subway”, which can be found in The Trilogy DVD set or

On Demand at www.dananddave.com.

When the two packets have been separated with the

protruding cards, it’s at this moment I now hand each

packet to one of the spectators. Since all the work has

been done, everything from this moment on happens in

their hands as they each push the out-jogged card(s)

in.

The effect is much stronger now and the teleportation

can be tied into many presentational plots. For

instance, if performing the effect for a husband and

wife, you may go as far as handing the husband the

selection to push in so when the wife pushes the two

cards in, out comes the selection, a visual symbolizing

birth. Okay, that was a joke but the idea of having the

spectators create the magic in their hands is not.

Perform this effect in your spectators’ hands. It will

make all the difference.

Joker Tracking

Have a card selected and controlled to the top. Table

the deck so that it rests in riffle shuffle position.

Place a Joker face-up on top of the deck angle-jogged

to the left so that the right corner protrudes over the

outer edge. Execute the Erdnase “One-handed Fancy True

Cut” (The Expert at the Card Table, page 47) to place

the Joker one-third of the way down in the deck. Cut

the top half to the right taking the out-jogged Joker

with it and riffle shuffle the packets together. You

can shuffle as many times as you like as long as the

Joker remains out-jogged in the right-hand packet and

the selection will always stay below it.

The principle is similar to a short card. In fact,

you’re basically making an impromptu short card by

angling the joker in this way.

This idea can be turned into an effect where the joker

ends up next to the selection after several shuffles,

or as a force. I’m sure your imagination will find a

use suitable for your repertoire.

Additionally you can maneuver the Aces to the top and

borrow someone’s business card or license to present

the effect in a manner that shows they are very lucky.

Try this out the next time you’re in Vegas and you will

make someone’s day.

Resurrection

A book of matches is about as commonplace an object as

you can find, so it’s not surprising that there have

literally been hundreds of match tricks published. Only

a few however do we believe to be performance worthy.

What follows is our handling of an old idea and one of

our favorite match tricks to perform. It’s easy and

incredibly magical.

Effect:

A man asks you for a light. You remove a small box of

matches, take one out and light it. After lighting the

man’s cigarette, you shake the match to put out the

flame. A woman walks up and also asks you for a light.

Now instead of taking out another match, this is what

happens. Slowly blow on the burnt match as a cloud of

smoke forms around it. Both the man and the woman then

see the burnt match slowly restore. After all the smoke

has dissipated, strike the restored match on the box

and light her cigarette.

DISCLAIMER: The publisher takes no responsibility

whatsoever for any accidents, mishaps, or mayhem caused

by the actual practice or performance of this effect.

Pre-Show:

Obtain a small box of matches and make sure the matches

inside are of natural color wood, not black, and that

the tip is a light color, such as red or white.

There are four sides to a wooden matchstick. With a

black Sharpie, mark two adjacent sides, including the

tip. Do this in a way so that it appears burnt. Don’t

just make a straight line across the center and color

up. Use your artistic skills and look at an actual

burnt match and try to copy its look.

Place this match somewhere you can access it quickly.

Method:

Hold the prepared match at its base between your second

and third fingers toward the fingertips. Holding the

match this way will allow freedom for your thumb and

index finger to remove and handle another match.

Open the box and remove a regular match and hold it at

the tip of the index finger and thumb, just like you

would normally. Strike the match to light it and allow

it to burn a few seconds, or until it has burned about

half way down.

To accomplish the effect as described, it is necessary

to perform an old trick that will allow you to blow

smoke from your mouth. Daniel Garcia recently revived

this old bar trick which he calls “Warning.” A brief

description follows:

When you strike the match, make sure it’s positioned

roughly a foot below your nose and that your mouth is

closed. As soon as you see it starting to light,

lightly inhale through your nostrils. The inhaling

should happen before you see smoke coming from the

flame. The first couple times it will burn your nose,

and this might be because the match is held too close,

so experiment with it. Once you have inhaled, and you

only need a little, raise your head and look at your

spectator so they don’t suspect anything. Now, if you

open your mouth, smoke will flow from it. It’s a neat

effect, but definitely not recommended for use on a

daily basis. Try this at your own risk and if you’re

under 18, don’t try it at all.

If you don’t wish to perform “Warning”, you may also

simply take a drag of someone’s cigarette to blow smoke

on the burnt match.

In the action of shaking out the flame, toss it away as

the altered match is levered up into the same position.

By doing this quickly and casually, you will have

secretly switched the burnt match for the altered

match.

Watch as the altered match is levered up to make sure

the colored edge is facing your spectators.

Now open your mouth and slowly blow the smoke toward

the match as you simply revolve the match around so the

two clean sides now face the spectator. The match

appears to have been restored.

Pause for only a moment and then re-light the match.

This will burn the evidence by concealing the fact the

other side was only painted black.

If you’re underage or not a smoker (I myself detest

smoking), here is another possibility:

Once the match has been switched for the altered match,

hold it at the very tip of your fingers and clearly

show your other hand empty. Now, with a magical gesture

or wave of the hand over the match, simply turn it

around as you would for a paddle move. Light the match

to prove it has been restored.

Further, doing away with the restoration phase entirely

and just re-lighting the burnt match could also

accomplish a different effect.

You may also wish to perform the paddle move with any

of the above methods; however, I don’t feel it is

necessary as it becomes too showy, like a magic trick,

not a miracle.

Blinded

Effect:

Reach into the air with your empty hand and produce a

lit match.

Method:

Take a small box of matches and cut off about one third

of the striking strip. Place this piece on the outer

pad of your second finger with the striking surface

facing up.

Take a wooden match and place the tip on the inner edge

of the striking strip. Place your right thumb on the

opposite end of the match and pinch the sides between

your first and third finger. Your second finger

protrudes out of the back but the overall appearance of

your hand should look as if nothing is there and your

thumb is merely touching the tips of your fingers. You

will have to extend you arm out to your side to achieve

this illusion.

To produce the lit match, apply pressure with your

second finger against the match tip by pressing down

and in, like you’re trying to curl the finger inward,

but the match is resisting you. Now slightly curl the

thumb inward causing the match to shoot away from your

grip. Because of the angle of the match, the tip will

slide across the striking surface and light. As soon as

this happens, continue to move the second finger inward

toward the thumb and pinch the match at the bottom end.

You will now be holding a lit match between your thumb

and middle finger.

This will definitely take some practice, but it looks

amazing when you get it. Experiment with different

matches and striking surfaces. I have found that

grocery store matches are generally slightly thicker

than restaurant matches and therefore aren’t as flimsy

and don’t break as easily. The striking surface from

grocery store matches seems to work better too.

Warning: Practice this one outdoors, as you don’t want

a flying lit match landing on something flammable. I

guess the same could happen outside though, so just be

careful with this one.

Sealed & Revealed

Nearly four thousand miles of open road; I didn’t

expect it to be all that bad, however. I must have

missed the part in my contract that said cameraman and

“driver”, as I somehow ended up doing the most of it.

Needless to say thirty days and one speeding ticket

later I never wanted to drive again.

It’s crazy how much driving gets to you. It really

wears you out; at least it did me, as I was always

tired. Lots of coffee was consumed. Maybe if it wasn’t

for all the haystacks the monotony wouldn’t have gotten

to me, but it did. So thank you coffee.

This next idea came to me as I reached for a packet of

sugar and saw that it was opened at the top perforated

edge. I immediately got the idea of sticking a torn

corner of a playing card, or a signed coin, or a small

finger ring inside and somehow sealing it back up for a

reveal.

Later, after returning home, I discovered that it’s a

very simple matter to open up any sugar packet like you

would a bag of chips and seal it back up with a glue

stick. Saliva works sometimes too but doesn’t hold up

when in the hands of a spectator. I started to

experiment with different ideas that could be used and

came up with several decent effects.

One of the ideas uses a great effect by Daniel Madison

called “Angle Zero”. The set-up is brilliant in that it

allows you to have a card freely selected. The corner

is torn off, shown, and visually vanished only to end

up wherever you want it. In this case, it ends up in a

sealed sugar packet.

“Angle Zero” by Daniel Madison can be found in his

lecture notes TWO at www.danielmadison.co.uk or more

recently on his DVD, DANGEROUS at www.theory11.com

Please visit http://community.dananddave.com for

additional ideas using this principle and to list your

own.

Deliquesce

LOCATION: CAFE

Early one morning at a cafe, the four of us sat sipping

coffee and orange juice. I spread my cards out on the

table and offered a selection. A card was noted and

then lost back into the deck. I placed the saltshaker

on top of the cards and then took my paper napkin and

molded it around the saltshaker.

At this point no one knew what I was doing, but they

knew I had something up my sleeve. Out of nowhere, I

quickly raised my hand high above the table and slammed

it down on top of the covered saltshaker, which now

appeared to have vanished. I still hadn’t said

anything, so they were kind of confused. I waited a few

more seconds and then slowly reached under the table

and pulled out the saltshaker as I slid the napkin off

the top of the deck.

Next, I slowly unscrewed and removed the top of the

saltshaker. As I poured the salt onto the table and a

folded card fell from the shaker. Van quickly reached

for the card out of amazement and there I sat with a

pile of salt in front of me.

Pre-Show:

Secretly grab a matching saltshaker from one of the

other tables. Go into the restroom and dump out half

the salt.

When you come back to the table, place the shaker in

your lap, held firmly between your legs so it doesn’t

tip over, and remove the lid.

Now unfold your paper napkin and place it across your

lap.

Method:

After having a card selected and returned, control it

to the bottom with some false shuffles. Execute

“Mercury’s Card Fold”, a method for secretly folding a

card into fourths (Expert Card Technique, page 303) and

retain the card in finger palm. Set the deck on the

table and then reach for your glass of orange juice or

coffee as the hand with the selection comes to rest in

your lap and begins to load the card in the shaker.

Take a sip of your beverage for added misdirection. The

lid will be screwed on in a moment; so don’t worry

about that at this point. It will help to position the

lid on top of the shaker.

As you finish sipping your beverage, bring the right

hand down to your lap and come back up immediately with

both hands holding the napkin. You want your audience

to believe you simply went down to your lap to grab the

napkin and nothing else, so do it casually and without

mention.

Mold the napkin around the saltshaker so that all sides

are covered. This vanishing saltshaker bit can be found

in nearly any introductory book on magic tricks. If you

don’t know it, a brief explanation follows:

After the napkin has been molded around the shaker by

simply squeezing the paper around it, you will notice

that if you let go, the napkin will retain the shape of

the shaker. This mold is what creates the illusion the

saltshaker is in the napkin when in reality it is not.

Grip the napkin around the saltshaker with your right

hand and lift them both up off the table. As the left

hand misdirects by repositioning the deck in front of

you, the right hand casually moves toward the edge of

the table and relaxes. This will allow the saltshaker

to fall from the napkin mold, yet still appear as if

the right hand is holding on.

Place the empty napkin mold on top of the deck as the

left hand comes to rest in your lap and screws the lid

on the loaded saltshaker.

From this point simply follow the procedures described

in the effect description.

Credits:

Etienne Pradier has a similar effect where he passes a

wine bottle through a table then the bottle is revealed

to contain a signed card. With that said, I suggest

doing the above method with a signed card as well.

Autocatch

Here’s a neat Sandwich effect using a variation of the

“Card Spring” (The Royal Road to Card Magic, page 60),

but done on the table, we call it “Hover Spring.” I

will first explain the flourish, as the rest is fairly

simple.

Hover Spring:

Grip the deck in end grip, fingers at the outer end and

thumb at the inner end. However, for this, your thumb

needs to be gripping the inner right corner of the

cards. Now execute a card spring, but spring the cards

off your thumb. Springing the cards off your fingers,

as some magicians do, will not work for this trick, so

use your thumb.

Before springing the cards, position your hand about

six inches above a table with a smooth surface, tilted

slightly to the right. The deck should be at a forty-

five degree angle to the table. Now if you spring the

cards to the left, you will notice they seem to glide

across the table. The left hand is used to scoop them

up. Practice this a bit to get it smooth. It really is

beautiful when done correctly.

Method:

Have a card selected and controlled to the top. Remove

the Jokers or two like cards and place them face up on

top as a break is obtained beneath the selection. Lift

up all three cards above the break with your right hand

as your left thumb peels off one of the Jokers. Place

the remaining Joker, making sure not to expose the fact

it’s actually two cards, on top of the Joker just

peeled off. Now take all three of these cards and set

them on the table, keeping them aligned.

Now perform the “Hover Spring” over the three cards on

the table. The friction from the spring will cause the

cards to spread and reveal a face down card between

them. Turn over the face down card and reveal it as the

selection.

Strawgami

I’m not one for fast food but when you’re on the road

for thirty days, restaurants can get quite expensive

and as Suren would say, “Guys, our budget has been

spent.”

One gloomy afternoon somewhere in the dreary Midwest we

stopped at this burger-joint/gas-station for a bite.

Apparently they’re famous for their one-pound

hamburger-eating contest. Yes, it was that kind of

place.

While waiting for our food, I took an opportunity to

perform an effect showed to me by Derek DelGaudio.

However, first I excused myself, as the trick requires

a little preparation.

During our meal when the chitchat had quieted, I spoke

up and said, “Here’s a strange piece of origami I

learned in Japan.”

I picked up a straw from the table, still in its

wrapper and proceeded to pass it through my fist. As it

emerged from my fist, the wrapper was seen to be on the

inside of the straw. I continued to pass it completely

through and my friends laughed. The moment turned and

the sun began to peek through the gloomy sky. For this

occasion, the magic wasn’t about the miracle but about

the moment, and just enjoying a good laugh.

Preparation:

This will only work with clear straws. Remove the white

paper cover from a straw and twist it so that it

becomes thin like a string. Carefully undo the end of

another straw and slide the twisted paper wrapper

inside this straw. Once this is done it looks like just

a straw.

On returning to the table I grabbed a few straws and

casually set them down. The preparation was complete

and little did my friends know they were about to enjoy

something strange.

The method should be obvious - as the straw is passed

through your fist you simply retain the wrapper on the

inside of your fist. The cleanup is simple; it just

falls in your lap on the offbeat of handing out the

unusual object.

Shake & Bake

What follows is a quick and visual method for

accomplishing Doc Eason’s “Anniversary Waltz.”

In case you’re not familiar with this effect I will

describe a method for getting into position (the

procedure) shown to me by Chad Nelson, which I believe

to be among the cleaner handlings. Also note that a

double-backer and a double-facer are required for this

effect.

Set-up:

From a face-up deck, set-up the cards as follows: (from

bottom up)

Face-up deck, Queen of Clubs, double-backer, Face-

down Queen of Spades, and double-facer.

Procedure:

Since the cards are signed I don’t think it necessary

to force the selections, so in a casual manner I bring

each selection to the top to have signed, as follows.

Swing cut the deck a few times, catching a break above

the set-up. Spread through the cards and bring what

will appear to be a random card to the top, really you

just cut the cards at your break. Have the top card

signed and as you place the pen back in your pocket get

a little-finger break below the top three cards.

Perform a triple lift to show the back. Turn the triple

face down and deal off the double-backer into your

spectators’ hand.

Repeat the actions above, seemingly searching for a

random card. Lose the face down Queen of Spades into

the deck as you spread for the double-facer and cut it

to the top. Have the top card signed and as you place

the pen back in your pocket get a little-finger break

below the top two cards. Perform a double lift to show

the back. Turn the double facedown and deal off the

double-facer onto the double-backer.

You now have two cards resting in your spectator’s

hand, a double-facer signed on both sides and a double-

backer. Pick them up with your right fingertips, thumb

on top and fingers below.

You will now convince your audience they’re seeing both

sides of two normal cards by executing the following

display.

Pull in with your right fingertips and push out with

your right thumb. At the same time turn your left hand

palm-down and pinch the double-facer with your thumb

(below) and fingers (above). Both hands take one card

as you turn your left hand palm-up and your right hand

palm-down creating the illusion that both sides of the

cards are shown, really only the double-facer changes.

Repeat these actions as many times you see fit ending

with the double-facer on top.

Method:

During a waving action with the cards, slowly back palm

the bottom card, the double-backer, as the hand stops

waving. In concept, the two cards should seem to fuse

together, rather than the bottom card apparently

disappearing.

Offer the single card out for examination. When they

take it, your hand will appear empty. This magical

moment will allow enough time to secretly replace the

back-palmed card onto the deck.

Additional Notes:

If you’re unfamiliar with the back palm please refer to

our On Demand section located at

http://store.dananddave.com for a complete tutorial on

this very useful tool.

Mannequin

LOCATION: 5TH AVENUE, NEW YORK

The last city we visited on our trip was New York. I

guess you could say we saved the best for last. Here we

took a break from filmmaking to take in the beauty that

is New York.

While walking down Fifth Avenue, doing some shopping,

we stopped for a moment in front of a department store.

I hadn’t done any magic that day so I thought then

would be as good a time as any.

I spread the cards between my hands and offered Van a

selection. The card was noted and lost back into the

deck. I snapped my fingers, reached into my pocket, and

pulled out the selection. At this point, everyone acted

impressed, but I knew I had shown her this effect

before so I said I would do it again, but differently.

I shuffled the selection back into the deck and again,

after a snap, reached into my pocket...however, this

time I pulled out a...clothes tag. I myself acted

confused and I know Van was. I turned the tag over and

it read, BOSS. I took a step back and looked up at the

sign for the store we were standing in front of, it was

BOSS. I then spread through all the cards and asked Van

if she saw her card. As she agreed her card was missing

I pointed to a pair of pants on a Mannequin in the

window behind us. Protruding from the pocket was her

selection.

Pre-Show:

A duplicate card must be planted in the left pocket of

a pair of pants on display in a store window front.

Clothing stores in malls are perfect. You will also

need a price tag. I simply removed the one from the

pants; this made the transposition of the clothes tag

and card seem more real. This must all be done without

your audience’s knowledge.

Place the clothes tag in your left pants pocket and the

card matching the one planted in the Mannequins’

pocket, on top of the deck.

Method:

“Classic Force” (Expert Card Technique) the top card

and control it to the bottom of the deck. Give the

cards a few false shuffles. Now make any kind of

magical gesture and reveal the selection in your left

pants pocket. This is accomplished by first palming the

card in the left hand then going into the pocket to

seemingly pull out a card when in fact you’re really

just pulling out the palmed card.

Repeat the effect by apparently losing the card back

into the deck. In the action of a few shuffles and

cuts, control the selection back to the bottom and palm

it off as before. This time when you reach into your

pocket with the palmed card, leave it in the pocket and

remove the clothes tag.

The rest is presentation.

Notes

Notes

Notes