Mastermind by Chris Kemnworthy

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Rennie
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Mastermind by Chris Kemnworthy

Postby Rennie » February 6th, 2017, 11:55 am

Does anyone know the date that Mastermind By Chris Kenworthy was released. I am asking because going through some of my old instructions I found an effect titled "Super Prediction" that is nearly identical in presentation and the gimmicked cards. I know the person who had the instructions and he was involved with magic in the 50's & 60's. He passed away in February of 1987. It even uses the same duplicated card, Three of Hearts. In the Kenworty instructions he credits Hiro Hirata for its release.
Any help in this matter would be greatly appreciated.
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Rennie
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Randy DiMarco
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Re: Mastermind by Chris Kemnworthy

Postby Randy DiMarco » February 6th, 2017, 12:09 pm

The first I can find it mentioned is 1985. I know I bought it around that time when it was a new release.

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Rennie
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Re: Mastermind by Chris Kemnworthy

Postby Rennie » February 6th, 2017, 12:54 pm

I thought it was in the 80's. I think the effect I have is actually where Chris may have gotten the idea for Mastermind. I am trying to locate him just to confirm.
The effect is the important thing, how you achieve is not !!

Tom Gilbert
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Re: Mastermind by Chris Kemnworthy

Postby Tom Gilbert » February 6th, 2017, 8:58 pm

I had an early Kenworthy effect. I originally saw Don Alan perform the effect on some show. It used a Koran deck, Humber Wallet, and card sized, gaffes envelopes.

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Matthew Field
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Re: Mastermind by Chris Kemnworthy

Postby Matthew Field » February 7th, 2017, 5:19 am

The version I have has no date on the deck or the instructions. The instructions say, "Routine for Mastermind by Chris Kenworthy and Hiro Hirata." They also contain "Routine for Any Card at Any Number" by Kenworthy.

I believe the basic idea is in Annemann's book "202 Methods of Forcing."

Matt Field

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erdnasephile
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Re: Mastermind by Chris Kemnworthy

Postby erdnasephile » February 7th, 2017, 3:41 pm

Just for fun, here's some history regarding the Monte Cristo pack:

http://www.geniimagazine.com/magicpedia/Monte_Cristo_Pack

I did a search of Genii, and the first ad for Chris Kenworthy's Mastermind is found in Volume 49, Number 4, October 1985, pg 214-15. Given Genii's sometimes irregular publication schedule during those years, it's not clear to me the exact date this was published; however, I could not find any earlier reference to this particular version of the MC pack in Genii.

The ad does credit Hiro Hirata for "releasing this peerless mind teaser to the magic fraternity", but no previous credits are cited.

(As a side note, this was a very effectively worded ad; however, some might debate the veracity of this phrase from the ad: "No forcing of any kind is ever employed!" [emphasis per original]. Is this really true if you are using a forcing deck?)

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erdnasephile
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Re: Mastermind by Chris Kemnworthy

Postby erdnasephile » February 7th, 2017, 4:14 pm

Mr. Maven wrote in Genii, Vol 72, pg 439 that the gaffed card involved in this deck was first recorded in 1612. He also noted that the Henry Hardin title for his deck was "The Peerless Monte Cristo Cards" (1908). Apparently, the Hiro Hirata credit quoted above was well-phrased.

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Re: Mastermind by Chris Kemnworthy

Postby Jonathan Townsend » February 7th, 2017, 7:57 pm

There's a very nice of the pack - or a freely selected packet from the pack - in the Fred Kaps on Cards notes and video. He puts them into a cup.

what part of the trick is novel?
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EndersGame
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Re: Mastermind by Chris Kemnworthy

Postby EndersGame » October 5th, 2018, 11:25 pm

I've seen Chris' last name spelled in different ways online. What is his actual name with the correct spelling?

a) Chris Kenworthy
b) Chris Kenworthey
c) Chris Kentworthy
d) Chris Kentworthey
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Richard Kaufman
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Re: Mastermind by Chris Kemnworthy

Postby Richard Kaufman » October 6th, 2018, 1:56 am

Henry Hardin's Peerless Monte-Cristo Deck was designed and printed by Theodore DeLand.
It is the first version of the Tossed-Out Deck.
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Philippe Billot
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Re: Mastermind by Chris Kemnworthy

Postby Philippe Billot » October 6th, 2018, 7:24 am

It seems that Stewart James writes about Kenworthy's trick in his correspondence with Haxton in no. 22 1969 (I have no access. I can't check).

In 1987, Rick Johnsson reviewed the trick in The Linking Ring no. 6 under the name Any Card at Any Number - Mastermind

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erdnasephile
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Re: Mastermind by Chris Kemnworthy

Postby erdnasephile » October 6th, 2018, 12:15 pm

David Regal published a really funny routine along these lines (which he performed on Fool Us, I think).

A while back, CardShark was selling off old remaining stock of these on ebay for a really good price.

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Re: Mastermind by Chris Kemnworthy

Postby EndersGame » October 6th, 2018, 9:14 pm

erdnasephile wrote:David Regal published a really funny routine along these lines (which he performed on Fool Us, I think).

Maybe this is something different, but David Regal has just released a new effect called Simpatico Plus, which the ad copy describes as "A reputation-making card miracle 30 years in the making".

It's a newer version of his original Simpatico (found in his book Approaching Magic, p.265), which is in turn a newer version of his Self-Evident (found in his book Star Quality, and on his DVD Tricks! The Magic of David Regal).

The second routine included with this is an ACAAN style effect. You can see it on the official video trailer here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WXkazz8vUQ

Is that in any way similar to the one you are thinking of? Personally I'm curious whether the spectator can genuinely make a free selection from 1-52 *after* the cards are spread, and they can count to this number.
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