Planging Chaces by John Holt

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Tom Frame
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Planging Chaces by John Holt

Postby Tom Frame » July 21st, 2012, 3:18 pm

Planging Chaces (Ebook) by John Holt 7 / $10.85
25 pages, 29 photographs
Available at: http://johnholtmagic.wordpress.com/ebooks/


The spelling of the title of John Holts latest ebook is not a symptom of dyslexia. Rather, it aptly announces that this is a collection of transposition effects.

Mr. Holt writes in a humorous style that I enjoy. Unfortunately, his writing is a bit rough. The text contains numerous typographical and grammatical errors. Despite this annoyance, the author does a good job of teaching the material.

The photographs are a slightly out of focus but helpful.

The authors methods require an intermediate to advanced level of skill.

All but the last of these effects can be performed with a borrowed, shuffled deck.


Some Change in Your Pocket: The performer turns the top card of the deck face-up, displaying the Ace of Spades. He removes the Ace and uses it to flip the new top card of the deck face-up, the Queen of Hearts. He places the Queen onto the Ace, turns them face-down and re-grips them with the raised fingers of his deck-holding left hand.

The performer removes the top card and places it in his pocket. He flips the Queen face-up onto the face-down deck. He waves his hand over the Queen and it transforms into the Ace. The performer tosses the Ace to the table and removes the Queen from his pocket.

This is the authors extended version of his 'Two Card Transpo that appeared in The First Eleven. I like it.


One Fech of a Surprise: Two cards are freely selected, signed and lost in the deck. Once again, they are the Ace of Spades and the Queen of Hearts. The performer cuts the deck several times. He turns the top card of the deck face-up, revealing the Ace.

The performer turns the Ace face-down and places it in his pocket. He shuffles and cuts the deck and turns the top card face-up, revealing the Queen. He waves his hand over the Queen and it transforms into the Ace. He turns the Ace face-down onto the deck and then tosses it to the table.

The performer removes the Ace from his pocket. A participant turns over the tabled card and discovers the Queen.

As its name suggests, this effect was inspired by Eddie Fechter's Have I Got A Surprise For You? from Magician Nightly: The Magic of Eddie Fechter (Mentzer, 1974). I like it.


A Snappy Transposition: A participant shuffles the deck and hands it to the performer. He turns the deck face-up and participants sign the top two cards. Oddly enough, they are the Ace of Spades and the Queen of Hearts.

The performing takes the Ace beneath the Queen in his right hand. His left fingers turn the deck face-down in his left hand. His raised left fingers square the Ace and Queen and turn them face-down where they are gripped with his right hand.

His left thumb peels the top card onto the deck and loses it with a one-handed cut. He turns the Queen face-up and places it on top of the deck. He shakes the deck and the Queen instantly transforms into the Ace.

The performer spreads the deck between his hands and a participant freely touches any card. The performer breaks the spread at the touched card and turns it over, revealing the Queen.

Mr. Holt employs a daunting Cardini technique to transform the Queen into this Ace. It will require considerable practice to execute this sleight smoothly and quietly. But if you have the chops, the transformation looks like trick photography. I like it.


Merlin-Esque: A participant shuffles the deck and hands it to the performer. He turns the top card face-up onto the deck and, naturally, its the Ace of Spades. The participant signs its face.

The performer removes the Ace and uses it to flip the new top card of the deck face-up. Not surprisingly, it is the Queen of Hearts. A participant signs its face.

The performer uses the Ace to flip the Queen face-down onto the deck, with the Ace landing face-up on top.

He removes the Ace with his right thumb and index finger and uses his right index and middle finger to remove the top card of the deck, which he buries in the center of the deck.

He places the Ace face-up on top of the deck and picks it up again. He shakes the Ace and it transforms into the Queen. He tables the Queen face-up.

The other participant selects a card and it turns out to be the Ace. I like it.


Changing of the Cuards: The performer tables the four Aces face-up. A participant freely chooses, say, the black Aces. The performer places them in his pocket. He picks up the deck and cuts it several times.

The performer loses the red Aces in the deck.

The participant freely selects and signs a card, which is lost in the deck.

The performer turns the top card of the deck face-up, displaying a red Ace. He turns it card face-down, removes it from the deck and begins to table it. He stops, places the Ace back onto the deck and uses his free hand to slide the card case to the center of the table. He removes the Ace and places it face-down on the card case.

He turns the top card of the deck face-up, displaying the other red Ace. He turns the Ace face-down, lifts it off the deck and places it on top of the other red Ace.

The performer lifts the Aces off of the card case and places them between the participants palms.

The participant spreads the cards face-down and discovers that there are now three cards. The performer turns the middle card face-up, revealing the selection. The participant turns over the other two cards and discovers that they are now the black Aces.

The performer removes the red Aces from his pocket.

Mr. Holts inspiration for this effect was David Williamson's Memory Test from his Magic Farm DVD.

The author includes Shaun McCrees variant handling that eliminates the card box weirdness.

You are required to execute a quadruple turnover. If that technique doesnt put you off your feed, then you may enjoy this effect. Im feeling queasy just thinking about it. I dont like it.


You and I: Participants sign, yep, the Ace of Spades and the Queen of Hearts. The performer takes the face-down cards in his left hand, with the Ace atop the Queen. He raises the Ace on its long edge and holds it in place with his left thumb.

The performer places his right hand over the tented Ace and palms it. He openly displays the Ace in his palm before moving his hand toward his pocket to place the Ace in it.

Remembering that his pocket needs to be empty, he stops and places the palmed Ace back in tent position in his left hand. He uses his free right hand to remove whatever the hell he carelessly left in his pocket.

The performer again palms the Ace in his right hand and places it in his pocket.

He turns his left hand palm-down to display the Queens face. He turns his hand palm-up again and spins the queen into the air, with its back toward the crowd. He catches it and turns its face toward the crowd, revealing that it has transformed into the Ace. The performer removes the Queen from his pocket.

Prior to spinning the Queen in the air, it is resting face-down in the performers left hand. For no reason whatsoever, he uses his right hand to briefly adjust the card. Adjustment? A single playing card, happily, comfortably nestled in your left hand doesnt need a stinking adjustment! Unless the poorly chosen method demands it. I dont like it.


A Bold Change: The performer turns the top card of the deck face-up and, as expected, its the Ace of Spades. A participant signs its face. The performer turns the Ace face-down onto the deck, removes it and places it in his right pocket.

The performer turns over the top card of the deck and, uh huh, its the Queen of Hearts. The participant signs its face and the Queen is left face-up atop the face-down deck.

The performer transfers the deck to his right hand and places his left hand into his left pocket to remove the first card that he mistakenly believes he put there. Realizing his mistake, he removes his empty left hand from his pocket.

He tables the deck and uses his free right hand to remove the card from his right pocket, keeping its back toward the participant. The performer turns the card around and displays the Queen. The participant looks down at the tabled deck and discovers the Ace sitting face-up on top of it.

If you stroll down the street and a metallic, clankity-clank sound issues forth from your loins, you might brave this handling. Its not merely bold, its audacious, outlandish, I tell ya!

Until I see Mr. Holt perform this effect live and not get busted, I wont believe that it is possible. I believe that the crowd will see the Ace on the tabled deck as soon as he tables it.

Youve removed your empty left hand from your empty left pocket. The crowd is satisfied that your left hand is no longer important, so they stop attending to it.

As soon as your right hand moves to table the deck, the crowd will attend to it and track its motion, because it is the only motion occurring. That motion ends where you table the deck and that is where their gaze will land. When you remove your hand from the deck, they will see the Ace on top because thats exactly where theyre looking!

If Mr. Holt can actually pull this off, I will offer him my sincere apology, view him with the utmost respect and awe, and allow him to violate and defile my body. Until then, I dont like it.


Dream Transposition: The performer removes a red back Seven of Clubs from his wallet. He replaces it face-down in the wallet, closes the wallet and tables it.

He spreads a blue back deck and a participant selects a card which, sure enough, is the Ace of Spades. The performer places it face-up on top of the deck and the participant signs it.

The performer lifts the Ace off of the deck and shakes it, causing the Ace to transform into the Seven. He deals the Seven to the table.

He opens his wallet, removes the red back card and places it on the deck to free up his right hand to close the wallet and place it in his pocket. He turns the red back card face-up onto the deck, revealing that it is now the participants signed Ace. The performer immediately gives it to the participant.

The authors method involves a special wallet, a set-up and several additional cards, including two common gaffs. I like it.


Planging Chaces doesnt contain any revolutionary methods or innovative presentations. You probably wont use any of these effects to slay the boys at your next session.

But, remember lay folk? Lay folk really dig transposition effects. If they are your target audience, Mr. Holts inexpensive ebook offers a handful of strong, well constructed versions with which to wow them.


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