GEMINI COUNT
Brother Hamman’s "Gemini Count" is a 4-as-4 count in which two cards are each seen twice. He originally published in a special one-man issue of Richard’s Almanac in Oct. 1983, later reproduced in The Collected Almanac, p. 126. It was also published in Bro. Hamman’s Seven Deadly Sins (written by Stephen Minch) in 1984.
The "Gemini Count" consists of (1) a Double Turn-over of the two middle cards of a four card packet; followed by (2) a Double Turn-over of the bottom two cards of the remaining three card packet; (3) a fair turn-over of the bottom card of the two card packet which remains; then finally a display of the last card. We’ll explain an alternate handling in the opposite order, starting with the fair turn-over of the bottom card of a two card packet.
FAIR TURN-OVER OF BOTTOM CARD
Hold the two cards in the left hand in normal dealing position. Your right hand approaches from above. The right second finger grips the cards at the outer right corner, the right thumb at the inner right corner (Fig.1).
The right hand pulls the bottom card out from under the top card, which is held by the left thumb (Fig.2).
The bottom card turns upwards as it moves to the right. When the left edge hits the left fingers, the right hand pivots it over on top of the left hand’s card (Fig.3).
Your right hand immediately moves back to the right side and again grasps the cards with the right second finger and thumb. The left thumb pushes the top card over and to the right. Again it pivots upwards, and is turned face-down on top of the left hand’s card, then dealt onto
the table.
DOUBLE TURN-OVER OF BOTTOM CARD
This action looks identical to the previous one. Hold three cards in the left hand in normal dealing position. Again the right second finger grips them at the outer right corner, the right thumb at the inner right corner as in figure 1. The right hand pulls the bottom two cards out as one from under the top card, which is held by the left thumb. The bottom cards turn upwards as they move to the right as one. When the left edge hits the left fingers, the right hand pivots the double over on top of the left hand’s card.
When you turn the double face-up on top of the left hand’s card, it’s wise to get a break beneath the cards in the process, though it’s not really necessary for the double that follows if your cards have any upward bend at all. To get the break, turn the double over injogged about half an inch, moving the right fingers to the right again, and pick up a break as you push the double forward and square with the packet.
DOUBLE TURN-OVER OF TOP TWO CARDS
The right hand immediately moves back to the right side and again grasps the cards with the right second finger and thumb as in figure 1. The left thumb pushes the top two face-up cards over and to the right. Since the right hand can readily grasp the two cards above the break, they necessarily move over as a pair in perfect alignment (Fig.4 shows the double face-down; actually it will be face- up). The two cards pivot upwards, and are turned face-down on top of the left hand’s card. The top card is then dealt onto the table.
DOUBLE TURN-OVER OF TWO MIDDLE CARDS
We’ve now arrived at the hardest part of the Gemini Count, which isn’t hard at all with the method we’re explaining. Simply do exactly as with the Double Turn-over of the Bottom Card, except that the left first finger buckles the bottom card, so that the right hand can pull the two middle cards (Fig.5), out and over as with the single turn-over and the double
from the bottom. Again pick up a break if your cards require it, then turn the double face-down again.
FULL GEMINI COUNT
All right, all the pieces are in place. Start with a face-down four card packet with, for
example, two black spot cards on the bottom and two red picture cards on top. Only the black spot cards will be seen.
a) Double Turn-over the two middle cards. Turn them face-down again and deal the top card on the table.
b) Double Turn-over the bottom two cards. Turn them face-down again and deal the top card on the table.
c) Bro. Hamman feels that the last two displays should take less time than the first two, without hurrying your movement. So do a fair turn- over of the bottom card on top. The right hand turns palm down, grasps the face-up card, turns palm up and puts it on the tabled cards.
d) While the right hand is putting its card on the tabled cards, the left thumb goes under the remaining card and turns it face-up between thumb and fingers. Your right hand returns palm down, grasps the card, turns palm up and places it on the tabled cards.
You have displayed the two black cards twice. The two red picture cards are now on the bottom, so that if you pick up the packet and do another Gemini Count, this time it will appear to be all red pictures cards.
THE BLABBERMOUTHS
The red Queens are "blabber-mouths" who can’t keep a secret. Whenever they merely touch a chosen card, they blab its identity to the magician. But somehow each of two chosen cards turns out to be a red Queen also, giving four red Queens. When the magician checks again, all four are black.
WORKING
1. Start with the black Queens on top of the deck, then openly upjog the red Queens. Use the Vernon Add-on to add the black Queens as you strip
up on top with a break underneath. Push over the top red Queen to show both red Queens, then flip all four face-down and deal the two black Queens onto the table. Or use any other switch you like.
2. Now force the two red Queens in such a way that they end up face- down in front of each spectator without their looking at them yet. A most direct way is to cut to the middle and use a Riffle Force. Tell the spectators that you don’t want any clues, so they should just peek at their cards and say nothing.
3. You drop the red (?) Queens on top of the first card, then explain that the Queens are not only gossips but have ESP, so all they have to do is touch the chosen card to know its identity, and that you only have to touch them for them to pass the information on.
Do so and look puzzled as you pick up the three cards. "You didn’t take a
red Queen, did you?" you ask. The first spectator will say that they did.
Meanwhile, you turn the double from the bottom over on top to show a red Queen. Turn the double face-down and deal the top card onto the table, muttering that this isn’t right, but let’s try the other spectator.
Do the same with the other spectator, who also took a red Queen, dealing their red Queen on the table on top of the other one. "But if you each
took red Queens and the gossips are red Queens…?" As you’re saying
this, you finish displaying the last two cards as red Queens and drop them onto the other two cards (black Queens) on the table.
4. Pick up the packet and carry out a full Gemini Count to show four black Queens, as you say, "I know that there are four Queens in the deck, but
two of them are black. Yeah, there’s one. And there’s the other. Now we’re OK, so these two cards are a third black Queen and a fourth black Queen. You know, I think we should try another trick." You put the cards
back into the deck and go into another trick.
KINGS HIGH
First, the red Kings rise upwards through the black Kings, then the black Kings rise upwards through the deck. Finally two previously selected cards appear in an unexpected place.
This routine makes use of half a Gemini Count and half of Peter Duffie’s "Wish it was Later" (N.D.E., 1998). It is hoped, here, that two halves do indeed make a whole!
WORKING
1. Fan the deck with the faces towards the audience and have two cards selected, saying, "Don’t pick a King because I want to show you
something bizarre with the Kings in a moment." Once the cards have
been remembered control them to the top of the deck and get a break under them. Turn the deck face-up, carrying out a Braue Reversal to leave the selections face-down under the face-up deck.
An alternate way to get into this position is to control the two cards to the bottom of the deck rather than the top, then use the Stripout Reverse Switch technique (vol. 2, chapter 25) to reverse them as you turn the deck face-up.
2. You now remove the Kings. Spread through and remove them, transferring each King face-down to the rear of the deck - two of one color followed by the two of the other color. Then turn the deck face- down to bring the Kings face-up on top.
For this description have the black Kings on top of the red Kings. Behind the red Kings are the two selections - all six cards are face-up.
3. Spread over the upper three cards to display four Kings (Fig.1) then close the spread and flip over all six cards.
Count the top four cards into your right hand reversing the order, then place the deck face-down on the table to one side.
Say, "Now for something bizarre with the, one, two, three, four Kings," as you reverse count the Kings. The reason for reversing their order twice, which you have just done, is to confuse any observant spectator as to the order of the cards. You could simply flip the six-card block face-down, push off the four Kings and begin, but an immediate color discrepancy will occur.
4. Hold the packet face-down in dealing grip. You now carry out the first two steps of Bro. Hamman's Gemini Count as follows:
a) Pull out the middle two as one. Show the face - a red King - then place the double on top of the packet. Deal the top card onto the table in front of you.
b) Remove the bottom two as one, showing the second red King - place them on top, then deal the top card onto the table to the right of the first. 5. Drop the two remaining cards on top of the left hand card on the table, saying, "If I place the black Kings on top of a red King, the red King rises
to the top." Turn over the top card revealing a red King (Fig.2), which you
take face-up into your left hand. Pick up the two cards and drop them on top of the other supposed red King. Turn over the top card revealing that, once again, the red King has risen to the top. Take this red King into your left hand and hold both Kings in a fan.
6. Two face-down cards remain on the table. These are apparently the black Kings. Push them apart, then pick up the deck and drop it on top of either card, saying, "Now if I place the whole deck on top of a black King
... it also rises to the top." Turn over the top card revealing a black King,
which you add to the two red Kings you already hold in your left hand to form a fan of three.
Invite the spectator to cut off half the deck and place it on top of the remaining King (?). Tap the packet with your finger then turn over the top card revealing the final King, which you place in your left hand to make a final fan of four Kings. The deck remains in two halves on the table.
7. Act as if the trick is over, then you suddenly remember that two cards were chosen earlier. Say, "If I now wave these Kings over these two
piles...what were the names of the cards you picked?" Flip over both piles