Proyecto de inversión

force postcard 3, random postcard, force postcard 4, random postcard.

Photo 3 shows you the back of the postcards. I marked each force postcard with one, two, three, or four pencil dots (yellow circles). They are barely visible in the picture, but are easy to spot in reality. I applied some roughing spray to the face of the force postcard and to the back of the random postcard it is paired with; this will hide the force postcards. You can also use a dab of wax.

Finally, I put stickers with my name and address on both blue envelopes. I put a stamp on them and posted them. Both

the sticker and the stamp are tilted to add some reality to the picture. When I got them back I marked the stickers with pencil dots so I can instantly see which side I have to open to take out the right postcard (Photo 4). Force postcards 1 and 2 go in one envelope; postcards 3 and 4 go in the other. The stack of postcards goes on top of envelope A and inside one of the openings of the big envelope (Photo 5). Envelope B goes into the other opening.

Turn the big envelope around and mark the side with envelope A

and the stack of cards with one pencil dot and the other side (containing envelope B) with three pencil dots (Photo 6). You will notice that the big envelope looks worn out. That’s just what it’s supposed to look like. I’ve supposedly collected the postcards in that envelope, so it makes sense that it looks a bit old.

Performance: Pick up the big envelope; while you open it, say, “I’m always humbled when people send me spontane- ous thank-you emails. And I’m even more touched when I get handwritten thank-you postcards. Yes, that still happens!” You hold the envelope in the way that’s shown in Photo 7. As you can see, you cover the lower part to prevent the audience seeing

the other opening. Even if they saw it, it would probably fly by. It’s just an extra safety measure to hide the method. Take out the stack of cards and envelope A. Briefly look at both sides of envelope A so the audience gets a clear picture of it and put it back in the big envelope without paying attention to it. Put the big envelope on the table, non-flap side up.

Fan the postcards (Photo 8) so the audience sees all different cards. Turn them around and show the backs of all the postcards while saying: “Over the years, I actually collected all the postcards I got. Every card holds an exciting story. Let’s select one of the cards and I’ll tell you the story that goes with it.” Square the cards at this point and hold them face down. “Sir, would you please turn your head away from me, because I really don’t want to influence you into selecting my favorite story! Just say stop whenever you feel like it.” Notice that I’m not describing what’s going to happen or what card will be their selection. The reason will become clear soon.

Look at a person in the audience while you say the previous line. Start dealing postcards on the table, one by one, rhyth- mically and a bit up tempo; that makes it easier to hide the force. As you deal, you separate the roughed pairs. Look at the

Photo 3 Photo 4 Photo 5 Photo 6 Photo 7 Photo 8 Photo 2

person all the time, meanwhile secretly either peeking at the cards you’re dealing or just counting the cards. Every odd number will be a force postcard.

Looking at the person puts you in a position to turn your head at the forced postcard the moment they say stop, which helps to convince the audience of the fairness of the procedure. When they say stop you will either have a postcard in your hand (either force or random), or you will have just dealt a postcard (either force or random) to the table. Here is how you handle either situation in a way that appears natural.

If you have a force postcard in your hand, immediately turn your attention away from the spectator and to the card in your hand. Smile as if you remember the story and say, “Ah, this is a good one!” If you have a random card in your hand, finish dealing the card while turning your head towards the card that’s now on top of the stack in your hand. Smile and say, “Ah, this is a good one!”

If the spectator says stop after you’ve

just dealt a postcard on the table, the force card is either on top of the tabled stack or on top of the stack in your hand. If the force postcard is on top of the tabled cards, lower the hand that holds the remaining stack; turn your gaze away from them, focus on the tabled cards, pick up the top card, and say, “Ah, this is a good one!” If the force postcard is on top of the stack in your hand, turn your attention to that card in the most natural way, smile, and say, “Ah, this is a good one!”

You will understand that this works just like a good equivoque. You will need to practice all possible scenarios in order to make every scenario look natural and to convince the audience that the outcome you play out is the only possible outcome.

You will now instantly spot what force postcard was stopped on; the markings will tell you whether it was 1, 2, 3 or 4. After the “Ah, this is a good one!” line, say, “I remember this well. I performed at an outdoor wedding party in Rome. Wendy and Peter went there because they had met for the first time at the Spanish Steps. Their

first kiss happened at the Trevi Fountain – very romantic. And although this is a great story, you’ve created an even more magical one.” This script is just an example of what I use. You’ll have to create a nice script and fill in the right names depending on the card you’ve landed on.

Take the blue envelope that contains the matching postcard out of the correct side of the big envelope. “In my profes- sional life, there’s only one postcard that I had already received before. Out of all the postcards you could have selected, you picked that postcard!” Take the matching postcard out of the blue envelope and show it to the audience. “You’ve just given added meaning to the word ‘correspondence.’” Smile. “You certainly have a knack for these types of coincidences. Thanks for creating yet another nice memory!”

It’s a nice creative exercise to scan your repertoire to see if there’s a card (but non- card) trick opportunity there. Good luck! 

Nick Trost is a name that may be unfa- miliar to younger readers of this magazine, but he was a prolific creator of card magic that did not demand knuckle-busting skill. As William Miesel wrote: “Nick is known for his simple, easy-to-do card magic. He bases his tricks on subtle moves and prin- ciples rather than difficult sleights. The thing that impresses me is how he obtains such excellent effects by ingenious, yet comparatively simple methods.”

Trost published two, one-man parades in The Linking Ring (1955 and 1957) and in May of 1961 he began a column of card magic in The New Tops that ran for more than thirty-three years. The subject of this month’s Ebook Nook, The Card Magic of Nick Trost, was published in 1997. More recently, the four-volume series The Subtle Card Creations of Nick Trost has been published by H&R Magic Books.

Below you will find three well-known Trost routines. I mentioned the Horse Race trick in my editor’s column in the June issue. Rick Johnsson took this trick and turned it every way but loose, wringing a ton of entertainment out of it. Eighteen- Card Poker is a very clever twist on the Ten-Card Poker Deal. You will probably puzzle your magic buddies with this (and it is also a great trick for laymen). In- cidentally, if you are a fan of this trick, you will love Bob Farmer’s new book, a 400-page compendium of routines, ideas, and scams for the Ten-Card Poker Deal. It should be available now. The final trick, Eight-Card Brainwave is one of Trost’s most famous creations. It was marketed by him and it has been varied by many creators. (You’ll read Bob Farmer’s clever idea for this trick in next month’s issue.) If you enjoy card magic, The Card Magic of Nick Trost should be in your library. My thanks to L&L Publishing for allowing these excerpts to appear in M-U-M. —Michael Close