The Genii Forum

Card trick with one double backed card?

Any suggestions or video links?

15 years ago I tried to see how many tricks I could recreate with just a DB card. I got an interesting version of twisting the aces and a very nice sandwich effect. Also a nice brainwave type thing with a Red/Blue DB card.

My suggestion is for you to do the same. Take a DB and try to recreate as many tricks as you can.

Xabi wrote:Card trick with one double backed card?

Any suggestions or video links?

Vernon had some fun with Houdini doing a trick that requires a DB card.

Out of interest, why the question?

also - is it a red/blue double backer?

There is a brand new DVD by Dan Harlan called "A LIttle R&B" there is some GREAT stuff on there plus it comes with the needd cards

CLICK HERE to read more

See Red Rising in Genii September 2011.

Been thinking about an ambitious card routine with the card-to-pocket finish using a DB pack as a kicker. The 'effect' works but so far no great closing line to bring home the 'not only is your card not a duplicate but its the only one with a face at all' stunner.

Jonathan,

If I may, it sounds like one of those climaxes that is very impossible but has nothing to do with what came before. What is your presentation for the card rising the first n times?

@Pete, the script on that comes from an item Paul Chosse discussed, calling the ambitious card "that pesky card" where after you do a "find a selection thing" and completing that "union rules item" you attempt another trick - say spelling down to the aces, but each time you turn up a card it's theirs from the trick before. You put it into the center of the pack and continue, "h, e, a, r, t, s" and turn up the ace of hearts - nope their card.

El Mystico wrote:Out of interest, why the question?

also - is it a red/blue double backer?

I already sometimes include one in my ACR routine and know a few tricks where you use multiple DBs blue and red.

But this is from a black backed deck (of which I only have one) and there is only one, just wondering how I can put it to use apart from my ACR.

Sounds like a "card that keeps turning up in strange places" rather than a "card that rises to the top." In that case an all backs climax would be incongruous. A "now they're all the same" finish would be more consistent with that presentation, if I understand it correctly.

Alternately you could put the deck away and take out a purse, for an upcoming coin trick. But when you open the purse, inside is a folded card.

Concerning Jonathan's mention of an Ambitious Card routine using a deck of double-backers: I have used this idea for many, many years and have fooled a lot of people with it. I published the basic idea in Closely Guarded Secrets and released the complete routine (titled The Trick that Fooled Houdini and His Whole Damn Family) in the Devious DVD set.

Exposing the existence of the deck of double-backers is not a good idea.

Close

Last night I just bought a deck of Bicycle Dragon Back (BDB) decks and a double back card is included. If all BDB decks are the same, that could be another source of double back cards, if you have the chance to find them, buy some, not just one, like me (I got the last one, I hope they bring some more soon). Here where I live it's difficult to find Bicycle decks other than the classic red and blue decks, so I bought what I could. Maybe any of you have bought some more decks with special cards included and you can tell us which ones to look for. The place where I bought my BDB has some more decks, although expensive ones (Bicycle Green -recyclable decks, pink decks for a cancer foundation, plastic transparent, poker peek pro, etc.) And I just remembered the black Tiger (I think) decks from a few years back had some special cards too. No double backs, but a "misprinted" ace. So if you have info about this, please share.

Somebody published the idea of using a blank-both-sides deck, saying that they were misprinted at the factory, and so the spectator writes their name (and/or the pips of whatever card they want) on a card, and you then do an ambitious card routine. In this context the double-blank cards function as double-backers, so you can use the same moves/stratagems as in Mike Close's routine, but in a different presentational setting.

Pete The double blank deck ambitious card idea is Seth kramer's. Not sure where it was first published, but it was referenced in a linking ring mag
In the late 80s. (Tom craven's card corner I believe). I developed a more elaborate routine with that basic idea as a starting point shortly after reading that reference. I still perform it and have shared it with a handful of people. Several years later Gregory wilson published his routine, based on seth's idea.

Jonathan Townsend wrote:

Xabi wrote:Card trick with one double backed card?

Any suggestions or video links?

Vernon had some fun with Houdini doing a trick that requires a DB card.

I thought that was just an ACR, did he use a DB?

Not to put too fine a point on it but a truly ambitious card would be found in your wallet with your credit card(s) or such - not sitting on top of the pack waiting for a grubby paw or coffee spill. ;)

The blank both sides pack also was explored in the direction of business cards way back then though kept quiet as Fred Kaps did not publish his wildcard routine and there was enough groussing about that at the time.

I sometimes think that a truly ambitious Jack of Diamonds might not rest until he were King.

Brad Henderson wrote:The double blank deck ambitious card idea is Seth kramer's. Not sure where it was first published, but it was referenced in a linking ring mag
In the late 80s. (Tom craven's card corner I believe).

Seth Kramer's BLANK AMBITION was published in Card Corner by John Bannon, Linking Ring, October 1992

Pete McCabe wrote:I sometimes think that a truly ambitious Jack of Diamonds might not rest until he were King.

The Knave's tale. That's a darn good start for a script. Probably just need a few other court cards and some blanks and you could almost act out Hamlet (not the lines unless working for folks who already know the play by rote) and wind up with a wildcard routine. :) Maybe add in a half faded King of Diamonds for the apparition?

My routine "Fusion" uses one double-backed card. Pretty good trick.

Xabi wrote:

Jonathan Townsend wrote:

Xabi wrote:Card trick with one double backed card?

Any suggestions or video links?

Vernon had some fun with Houdini doing a trick that requires a DB card.

I thought that was just an ACR, did he use a DB?

You have to read The Trick that Fooled Houdini by Richard Kaufman in Genii 2006 June, page 82

Richard Kaufman wrote:My routine "Fusion" uses one double-backed card. Pretty good trick.

Any video links?

This is in 'Cardworks' right?

There are some pretty good forces around that use a double-backed card. If you have the basic books (like Hugard's Encyclopedia of Card Tricks) then you should be equipped.

You can see my version, which uses ESP cards, here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIh8XhZtjbk

I do mention in the video that you can use playing cards. There is a subtle difference when using this with playing cards vs ESP cards. I'm sure it will be clear to you, but if not let me know.

Have you tried out the last minute addition to Annemann's 202 forces?
Turn over a packet of as many as you feel like and put that back on top of the pack face up. ;) Classic

It's Henry Christ's 203rd Force

Xabi wrote:

Richard Kaufman wrote:My routine "Fusion" uses one double-backed card. Pretty good trick.

Any video links?

This is in 'Cardworks' right?

Right!

Yes, CardWorks, and a better version in my old lecture notes ("Abstract").

Xabi wrote:Card trick with one double backed card?
...

Darwin Ortiz has a routine that uses one such card in context of a four card packet trick.

"Back Off" can be done without the double-backed card--there's no reason for its use. I believe I published a version by Larry Jennings someplace that eliminated it.

Richard Kaufman wrote:"Back Off" can be done without the double-backed card--there's no reason for its use. I believe I published a version by Larry Jennings someplace that eliminated it.

Yes, it can be done without the double-backed card, but I'm pretty sure that Darwin had good reason for including it (specifically as an added convincer in the routine).

The Jennings handling renders it completely unnecessary. You get exactly the same "shows" with no gimmicked card.

You can hand the DB card to a spectator, though, which is why I believe Darwin uses it.

Unnecessary.

You can do "Marlo's Satirical Signed Card" with a DB. (You can do it too without a DB).

There's also the Paul Curry item where you take out a blank card, write a prediction on the face then table it face down. A Volunteer then selects a card from a face up pack on the table - and the two are shown to match. Can also be done using a second pack of cards using a somewhat more expensive gaffus.

The classical two card transposition can be easily reworked to use the DB card for smoother turnover/changes.

And let's not forget the oft rediscovered "card to wallet/cardcase..." handling that uses a DB card to manage the critical turnover/switch. :)

Is there a version of the four card 'do as I do' using a db card? Been a while since I looked at my copy of FAKE-O card tricks but they were mostly DB work.

The card-to-wallet/cardcase application would be a great candidate for the Science Friction spray reviewed in the November issue. Or other similar products, since the spectator never handles the card.

U.F. Grant's "Do As I Do - You Can't" is a good one.

Paul Curry's "Color-Changing Deck" is another one.

Liam Montier has an effect on DVD (The Wicked world of Liam) with a stickman (on a post-it note). It uses a DB.

Derek Dingle's "We'll Twist" uses one R/B double backer and it is a wonderful trick.

I would imagine that the number of tricks that use a single double backed card would far outnumber the ones that use multiple double backers
Most of the tricks devised using double backed cards will require either 1, or 52.