Cervon: an elegant solution for the third potential ending

[NCMarsh]

Cervon's "Out of his mind" is an exceptional effect! Here are my thoughts:

The third potential ending is the least satisfactory -- Bruce's genius has set us up for an impossibly clean thought of card to pocket and, as he points out, the very fact that there is any card at all in the pocket is itself extraordinary...here is the blocking that I would use to take full advantage of Bruce's brilliant construction and make the last potential ending as strong as the first.

LH is shown empty, reaches into the pocket and lifts one of the x-cards so that it is visible above the entrance of the pocket. It is then dropped back into the pocket, deck is transferred to LH, selection bottom-palmed as performer emphasizes (using bruce's gesture from the write up):

Now, if any card at all were in that pocket, that would be a miracle...

RH takes deck as LH goes to pocket with palmed selection:

But you're just thinking of a card, you haven't told anyone what it is, yo haven't shown anyone what it is. For the first time, what is the card in your mind.

revelation. applause.

I sincerely think that this is the way to do the piece. (thanks of course to Francis Carlyle for his brilliant strategy in "The Homing Card" (Stars of Magic and, in the likely case that the idea was his first, the Professor for "The Travelers: a lesson in misdirection" from the same volume.)

Later: more on applying Cervon's work to a single thought of card to pocket.

warmly,
Nathan.
IllusionArtistry.com

[NCMarsh]

I should add that it is very likely that Cervon has considered this approach and rejected it with some sound reason of which I am ignorant -- I simply wanted to put forward what I consider to be a workable solution to an apparent(!) minute weakness in the version as published -- I apologize if I have unwittingly stepped on any toes.

Warmly,

Nathan.
IllusionArtistry.com

[rich aviles]

This is a very simple, nice idea. Thanks for sharing.

Rich