Just Cards Volume 2 by John Gelasi

[Tom Frame]

Just Cards Volume 2 (Ebook) by John Gelasi $11.00
21 pages, 12 photographs
Available at: http://gelasimagic.weebly.com


John Gelasi is back with his follow up to Just Cards, which I recommended on 1/18/12. Mr. Gelasi writes well and does a fine job of teaching the material. He dutifully cites his inspirational sources.

The photographs are clear and helpful.

Once again, the author includes links to performance videos. I really dig this feature.


F Sharp: The performer displays four face-up Kings in his left hand and four black spot cards in his right hand. He places the Kings on top of the spot cards and then turns the spot cards face-down beneath the Kings.

The performer lifts the King packet, drags the uppermost King onto the spot packet, levers it face-down and thumbs it to the table. He repeats this procedure with the next two Kings, forming a row. He turns the final King face-down on top of the spot packet, removes it and tables it in front of him. He refers to it as the leader King.

The performer turns a spot card face-up onto its packet. He turns it face-down, removes it and places it on top of the leader card.

He picks up a King, flashes its face and inserts it face-down into the face-down spot packet. He shakes the packet over the leader pile. The performer turns the spot card packet face-up and reveals that the King has vanished. Only four spot cards remain. He turns the packet face-down.

The performer turns another spot card face-up onto its packet. He turns it face-down, removes it and places it on top of the leader pile. He picks up another King and places it face-up on top of the spot packet. He removes the King, waves it and it transforms into a spot card. He places the face-up spot card onto the packet and then he turns it face-down. The performer turns the packet face-up and displays four spot cards. He turns the packet face-down.

The performer picks up the final King, displays its face and inserts it face-down into the face-down spot packet. He turns the packet face-up and reveals that the King has vanished. He tables the spot cards in a face-up pile. He turns the leader pile face-up and displays the four Kings.

The performer turns the King packet face-down and deals the cards onto the table in a row. He picks up the spot card packet, turns it face-down and drops it on top of the left-most King. He picks up the packet and turns the top card face-up, revealing that the King has jumped to the top. He tables the King in its former position.

The performer places the next King face-down on top of the spot card packet. A card falls from the bottom of the packet. The performer turns it face-up to reveal that the King has sunk to the bottom of the packet. He tables the King in its former position.

The performer turns the spot card packet face-up and inserts the next King face-down into it. He displays the cards and the King has turned itself face-up. He tables the King in its former position.

The performer drops the spot card packet onto the final King and the face card transforms into a King. He places the King in its former position. He deals a spot card face-up atop each King.


I like it.


Screensaver: The performer tables a face-down packet of four cards. A participant freely selects a card, which the performer loses in the deck. He places the deck on top of the tabled packet and picks up the packet, leaving it side-jogged beneath the deck. He squares the packet beneath the deck, retains the packet in his hand and tables the deck.

The performer turns the packet face-up and displays the four Jacks. He squares the packet face-up. He turns the uppermost Jack face-down on top of the packet and then he places it on the bottom of the packet. He turns the packet over and displays the cards, which are now all face-down. He displays the cards again and the Jack has turned face-up among the face-down cards.

The performer removes the face-up Jack and uses it to turn the uppermost Jack of the packet face-up. He places both face-up Jacks beneath the packet. He displays the packet and all of the Jacks are face-down.

The performer displays the cards and one Jack turns face-up. He displays the cards again and the other Jack turns face-up. He places the face-up Jacks on top of the two Face-down Jacks.

The performer removes the bottom Jack of the packet and turns it face-up on top of the packet, joining the two other face-up Jacks. He removes the face-up Jacks, flashes the face of the remaining Jack and inserts it face-down among them. He turns over the packet and shows that all of the Jacks are face-down.

The performer shakes the packet and one Jack turns face-up. He repeats this action, causing two more Jacks to turn face-up. He tables the remaining, face-down Jack.

He waves the three face-up Jacks over the deck and a face-down card appears among them. He turns the card face-up and it is the fourth Jack. He turns the tabled card face-up to reveal that it is the selected card.


I like it.


Be There at Twelve: The performer tables a closed card case that contains a prediction card from another deck. He removes about a dozen spot cards from the deck, mixes them and tables the deck. A participant cuts the packet several times.

The performer deals the packet into two face-down piles. The participant freely selects the top card of either pile and tables it sight unseen in front of her.

She takes the other pile and eliminates all but one of the cards by using a down and under dealing procedure. She places the remaining card in front of her, next to the previously selected card.

The performer combines the two piles, flashes the faces of the cards and tables the packet face-down. The participant turns her selected cards face-up, revealing a Ten and a Two. The performer places the packet on the bottom of the deck and tables it.

The participant adds her cards digits together, yielding a sum of 12. She takes the deck and deals to the 12th card. She turns it face-up and sees that it is the King of Diamonds.

The performer removes the prediction card from the card case and it is the King of Diamonds. On its back is written the number 12.


While I appreciate Mr. Gelasis clever methodology, it makes for a lengthy, circuitous card selection procedure. Hell, most of the performance is the selection procedure. The author also employs the Down-Under deal, which I detest.

I dont like it.


Defective: A participant freely selects and signs a card, which the performer loses in the deck. The performer turns the deck face-up by cutting off the bottom half of the deck, flipping it face-up on top and then turning the remaining cards face-up and placing them on top.

He removes a Joker and places it face-down on the bottom of the face-up deck. He turns the deck face-down, bringing the face-up Joker to the top. He turns the Joker face-down onto the deck, removes it and tables it.

The performer turns the deck face-up, removes the Ace of Spades and tables it face-up. He turns the deck face-down and places the Ace on top. He removes the Ace, shakes it and it transforms into the Joker. He places it on top of the deck, then he removes it and tables it face-up. He turns over the tabled, face-down card and it is the signed selection.


I like it.


This Might Be a Problem: The performer removes the four Aces and places them face-up on top of the card case. A participant freely selects a card, say the Eight of Hearts, and the performer loses it in the deck. The performer turns the deck face-up by cutting off the bottom half of the deck, flipping it face-up on top and then turning the remaining cards face-up and placing them on top.

The performer takes the Aces and demonstrates what he wants the participant to do. She is to place the Ace that matches the suit of her card face-up on the table. She will then deal the other Aces face-up on top of it and place the deck on top of the Aces.

The performer removes the Aces from the bottom of the deck and tables them and the deck in front of the participant. He turns his back and she carries out the procedure.

The performer turns around, takes the deck, turns it face-down, lifts the Aces and counts them back onto the deck. He turns the deck face-up, removes the Aces and places them on the participants palm. He turns the deck face-down.

The performer turns the deck face-up by cutting off the bottom half of the deck, flipping it face-up on top and then turning the remaining cards face-up and placing them on the bottom.

The participant spreads the Aces and sees that the Ace of Hearts is face-down. The performer spreads the deck face-up and one face-down card is seen in the spread. He removes it and turns it over, revealing the Ace of Hearts. The participant turns over the face-down card in her hand and discovers the Eight of Hearts.


I like it.


If your goal is to cause seasoned magicians to clutch their chests and froth at the mouth in amazement, then this material isnt for you. But if youre looking for strong, solid effects that will entertain and bewitch the lay folk, youll find them here. I enjoyed Just Cards Volume 2 and I look forward to Mr. Gelasis future offerings.


Recommended

[John Gelasi]

Thanks so much for the great review, Tom- I really appreciate it!