Formulación final y resolución del problema

Heading the parade comes the amazing effect for which many well-known magicians have offered large sums for exclusive use. Until the publication of this book only three London Card Men have been allowed to use it—the originator, Edward Love (author of Card Fantasies) and Frank Boynett (Chairman of the Merlin Magical Society and a prominent member of the London Society of Magicians). Once mastered, this effect with borrowed articles will create a reputation for its performer.

THE EFFECT:

A freely chosen card is returned to a shuffled, borrowed pack, under conditions which make its location seemingly impossible.

A borrowed pound note is wrapped round the pack and a borrowed penknife is stabbed through the note into the edges of the cards.

The pack is separated at the insertion—without a single false move—revealing the selected card above or below the knife.

THE SECRET:

Al Koran has repeatedly performed this effect for magicians throughout London, and everyone has been amazed at the discovery. It is based on an extremely subtle location—an adaptation of The Twenty-sixth Card Location, utilising the Crimp for a key card.

By a subtle procedure the chosen card becomes the twenty-sixth card in the pack. The use of the pound note not only enhances the effect, but serves to indicate the exact centre of the pack, as depicted in the illustrations. It is now apparent that if a penknife is stabbed through a certain point in the design of the pound note wrapped around the pack, it will enter the pack at the twenty-sixth card, namely, the chosen one!

At this point we must ask the reader not to be alarmed at the following paragraph, it may sound difficult, but in performance is by no means so.

The success of the effect is dependent upon the manipulator's ability to cut twenty-six cards from a borrowed pack. This is not so difficult as it sounds, though practise is essential to gain confidence. However, it will be seen from the routine that it is not absolutely necessary to cut twenty-six cards when the routine has been completely mastered. It is possible to bring about the effect by estimating the number of cards in the initial cut.

THE ROUTINE:

A complete pack of fifty-two cards is borrowed, and while they are being shuffled thoroughly by a member of the audience the performer borrows one pound note and a

Immediately on receiving the cards the performer crimps the bottom card and cuts the pack at its centre, thus making the crimped card the twenty-sixth card in the pack.

(Illustration A).

The pack is placed on the table before the performer announces what he will do, and it not touched by him again until he takes it up to reveal the chosen card at the conclusion.

It is a fact that afterwards the audience will say that the cards were not touched by the performer while the card was chosen and replaced. Some will even relate that the cards were not touched at all until the final discovery.

When the pack has been placed on the table a spectator is invited to divide it into three roughly equal heaps. Invariably he will separate about two thirds from the top of the pack

to the right, and further divide this packet into two equal heaps. In any case, the position of the packets must be noted. As shown in Illustration B, packet No. 1 is the original bottom portion of the pack; No. 2 (containing the crimped card) is in the middle, and packet No. 3 is the top portion.

The spectator is invited to touch any one of the two outside heaps. If he touches packet No. 1 the cards are shuffled and replaced. Packet No. 3 is also shuffled and replaced. A card is then removed from the chosen packet, and when the spectator has made a mental note of it, or initialled it, it is placed on top of packet No. 3 which is still on the table in its former position. (Illustration C).

The pack is reassembled under the performer's directions by placing packet No. 3 on top of No. 2; and No. 1 on top of No. 3. Or packet No. 1 can be placed on top of No. 3, and both on to No. 2. The final result is that packet No. 2 is now the bottom portion, packet No. 3 the centre, and packet No. 1 the top. (Illustration D.) This position of the packets is important.

Explanations of card moves always appear complicated in print, but the above operation will be found simple in working. There does not seem to be any possibility of locating the chosen card, and an audience of magicians will realise that the shuffling of the two outside heaps does not allow the top or bottom cards to be used as locator cards.

The cards are now taken by the performer who cuts them at the crimp. Any number of completed cuts may be made for effect, provided the crimped card is brought to the bottom of the pack after the final completed cut. This action will bring the chosen unknown card to the position formerly occupied by the crimped key card, namely, twenty-sixth in the pack. (Illustration E).

The pound note is wrapped round the pack in the manner depicted in the illustrations.

Examination of the back of a pound note will show that part of its centre design is of the width equal to the thickness of a normal pack of fifty-two cards. The design also indicates a point which is the exact centre of the note and of the edge of the pack. (Illustrations F and G).

With the necessary showmanship the manipulator stabs the penknife through the note at the vital point, into the side of the pack. (Illustrations G and H). The performer has plenty of time to exercise care in this action, for the audience assume that he is mysteriously ascertaining the position of the chosen card, the sides of the cards not being visible because of the note covering them.

The pack is now split at the knife insertion to reveal the chosen card—either above or below the knife blade. Truly, mastered amazement!

When fully conversant with the routine it is possible to dispense with the cutting of exactly twenty-six cards. In this case the cut is judged and the centre point of the pound note is used as a guide. The originator of this extremely effective item can make an initial cut and judge his final stab accordingly.

Practice will create the effect. Comme il faut!

THE EIGHT ACES