Perverse Magic

All beginners in magic should address their questions here.
Ian Richards
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Ian Richards » November 11th, 2014, 10:46 am

Here, here! This is very much appreciated. Thank you Mr. Deutsch.

Gerald Deutsch
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » December 1st, 2014, 7:15 am

The Bent Coin

I mentioned this in this thread above (April 2006) in connection with “Perverse Through the Table”. It’s also noted in Bobo on page 186 and, as I noted before, the bent coin is a great prop.

(It’s easy to make. Just grab a quarter – or a penny with two pliers, one in each hand and --- bend the coin.)

I did tricks for children in a hospital a few times a month and I’ve had to do something “quick” – and it usually included a Perverse Magic effect.

(I’ve noted before that an entire act need not be Perverse Magic. Perverse Magic can take place one or two times in a performance. I recall Roy Benson’s billiard ball routine when in the course of his producing 2 inch white balls a red ball suddenly appears to the surprise of Benson and he looked in a book to try to understand. Great Perverse Magic.)

Well, with the youngsters I would start with the squeaker, squeaking their finger or knee and I would act surprised (Perverse Magic) and ask if they showed the doctor that they have a squeaky finger (or knee). It’s a quick opener.

Then I would pull a quarter from their ear – always good for a child – and I act surprised when I find it – more Perverse Magic.

The quarter is in my right hand and I pretend to take it in my left and it vanishes and I produce it from my pocket – not Perverse Magic (as I’ve said – EVERYTHING need not be Perverse Magic).

But when I go to my pocket I finger palm the bent quarter and bring out the regular quarter at my fingertips. I do the Bobo switch substituting the bent quarter for the regular quarter.

I tell the child that they too can vanish the quarter if they hold it very tight. I give them the bent quarter and tell them to hold it tight.

I put both hands in my pockets, getting rid of the regular quarter.

I then I ask the youngster if it vanished and he (or she) will say “no” and I will ask to see.

When he or she opens his hand and we all see the bent quarter, I am surprised I say, “Wow! You held it too tight! You are STRONG!” As I am surprised, this is good Perverse Magic.

(The child shouldn’t be able to tell that the coin she is holding is bent.)

But I can’t end like that because some children will somehow feel responsible for what happened and feel guilty. The last thing I want.

So I pretend to toss the bent coin into my left hand, retaining it in my right and pretend to put it in the youngster’s hand and I close his hand. I lean forward and let my right hand – with the coin – go behind me and I drop the coin in my rear right trouser pocket. I then use both hands to press the youngster’s hand closed.

Note- By leaning forward and extending your left hand, the right hand naturally falls back and behind you.

Again, the child probably won’t realize that you didn’t put anything in his or her hand but even if they do the others watching won’t.

“Okay,” I say, “If the magic worked, the coin should be fixed. Let’s see.” The youngster opens his hand and there’s nothing! “Wow! How did you do that? Hey, this is a real; magician!”

To quickly summarize the routine:

1 Squeaker
2 Quarter from ear
3 Quarter vanishes from my hand
4 Quarter found in my pocket
5 Quarter put in child’s hand to be vanished but it bends
6 Bent coin vanishes in child’s hand

And some good Perverse Magic

Gerald Deutsch
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » January 1st, 2015, 7:38 am

First Perverse Ambitions Card Above

I’ve discussed several Perverse Ambitious Card routines in the thread before, the first on December 21, 2002 where I said:

“I have a card selected and say it will come to the top and it’s not there – another card (say 4C) is there. I bury the 4C and try again but again the 4C is there. I spell the selected card but at the end it’s the 4C. Finally I say I’ll do the trick with the 4C and say it will go to my pocket but when I reach into my pocket it’s the selected card. I’m surprised and frustrated.”

Jack Shalom mentions this in his blog Musings, Memories, and Magic and some have asked that I explain this in a bit more detail. Okay, here:

1 First, I like to force the selected card so that the card that keeps reappearing is a contrast. For example, here the card that keeps reappearing is the 4C. If the selected card is the 4S the spectator may not realize that that wasn’t the card he selected. I use the Classic Force and rarely miss but if I do I glimpse the selected card after it’s replaced.

2 The selected card is controlled to the top and palmed as the deck is given to be shuffled.

As the deck is being shuffled I put both hands in my pockets leaving the palmed card in my right pocket.

3 When I get the deck back I glimpse the top card to be sure it is a contrast to the selected card and run one card so that the glimpsed card (here the 4C) is second from the top. A Double Lift reveals it.

Burying the top card lets you show that card again.

4 I run cards as I overhand shuffle for the value of the card in my pocket and the word “of” and then injog and shuffle. Another shuffle as I run cards for the suit, injog and shuffle. I spell the selected card and again show the 4C.

5 Finally I agree to do a trick with the 4C. I bury that card in the center of the deck really losing it, I riffle the deck and give the deck to a spectator.

“Watch, I’ll make the 4C go to my pocket.”

I reach into my pocket and pull out the selected card.

I shake my head, surprised, confused, and frustrated.

I perform this as the last effect in a four effect card routine.

(Also see Perverse Signed Card To Pocket above November 1, 2004.)

Real Perverse Magic.

Gerald Deutsch
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » January 1st, 2015, 7:39 am

POWER OF CONCENTRATION ADDENDUM

Back on this thread, on October 1, 2010, I posted this and said:

“In going through some magic papers I found an effect called “Power of Concentration. I don’t know whose this is but at the end of the write-up is “Louis Tannen Inc 1540 Broadway” – which gives an idea of the dating.”

I should have known that this, like Out of This World (this thread March 1, 2006) was created by Paul Curry and I regret that I had forgotten that when I posted this.
I always try to give proper credit for all effects that I suggest and I’m sorry I forgot
Paul Curry.

Another thing.

In my October 1, 2010 posting I started with two decks on the table, one red and one blue. I think it would be more effective if the second deck could be introduced after performing some effects with the first deck. That would of course require a deck switch of the first deck to get both set up decks. My suggestion for this is described below as number 1 under Method.

Let me repost that thread here with some modifications.

Effect

1 After performing some effects with a blue deck, the magician says that he’s noted something peculiar that he just doesn’t understand.

He reaches into his pocket and produces a red back deck.

2 He hands the blue deck to a woman and tells her to run through the deck with the faces to her and squeeze one card then turn it sideways. She does. He tells her to put the deck down.

3 The magician spreads the red back deck so that the faces are to the woman and he tells her to pull out that card that matches the one she squeezed in the blue deck and to squeeze it.

Then he tells the woman to put that card sideways and he puts the deck down on table next to the other deck.

4 “I don’t understand why this happens,” says the magician, “but when you squeeze the two cards they always wind up --- well – look – let’s deal the cards together.”

The magician deals one card from each deck simultaneously, turning each card dealt face up as it is dealt. They are random and most likely few if any will match.

When the spectator gets to the protruding cards – the selected card and its duplicate they are turned up at the same time.

Somehow they are in the same position in both decks.

Preparation

Set one deck up in the exact same order as another shuffled deck. Then, from the
deck that will be used second, here, the red deck, move three cards from the top of
the deck to the bottom without reversing their order.

The result is that every card in the red deck will be three cards closer to the top than
its duplicate in the blue deck.

The red back deck is in the left jacket pocket and the blue back deck in the right
jacket pocket.

The performer uses another blue back deck for the first part of his performance.

Method

The numbers below correspond with the numbers under Effect:

1 When you are ready to perform Power of Concentration, say that you need
another deck and put your right hand, with the blue deck you have been
using into the right pocket (where the duplicate blue deck is) as if looking
for the other deck.

Act like you can’t find it but keep your right hand in your pocket as your left hand goes into your left pocket and comes out with the red deck.

Then come out of the right pocket with your right hand and the switched deck.

2 No comment

3 When the deck is fanned with the faces towards the audience and the duplicate of the touched card is removed, the magician gets a break three cards below where the taken card was.

The deck cut here and the “squeezed” card is put sideways at this point in the deck.

This reverses the effect of moving the 3 cards to the bottom as to the selected card so that it will be in the same position as its duplicate.

I do mention in the original write up that the effect can be done with one deck.

To prepare, divide a deck in two with 26 cards in each half and then set the halves
up so that instead of a duplicate in the same position, the mate (i.e. the mate of the
4H would be the 4D) will be in the same position.

On the lower half move the top three to the bottom as was done with the red deck
above.

So to perform you would introduce the set up deck, divide it in two (using a crimp
or just knowing the card to divide the deck at) and follow the steps noted.

It’s Perverse Magic as the magician has no idea why this works.

Gerald Deutsch
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » February 1st, 2015, 6:58 am

Perverse Magic At The Dinner Table With Food

I mentioned some Perverse Magic done with food at the dinner table above on this thread (see for example “Coin In Roll” December 1, 2008). Also see various Perverse Magic effects with sugar above:

Perverse Sugar 1 October 2011
Perverse Sugar 2 June 2012
Perverse Sugar 3 February 2013
Perverse Sugar 4 April 2013
Perverse Sugar 5 December 2013

Sometimes just performing one such effect with food might be appropriate. Here’s a few more:

The Grape

From Martin Gardner’s “Encyclopedia of Impromptu Magic” made into Perverse Magic – The second category (see above November 1, 2011) – the performer says one thing will happen- something else does.

If you’re having dinner with friends and there is a plate of grapes or olives on the table steal one and put in secretly in your mouth.

Pick up another grape (or olive) with your right hand and pretend to put it in your left hand but lap it and say (you can talk with the grape (or olive) in your mouth) “The Floating Grape”, snap your right fingers, open your left hand and look surprised when there is no grape (or olive) and then pause and make a face (so all look at your face) and then look surprised as you slowly push the olive (or grape) out of your mouth.

The Bouncing Roll

Again from the Martin Gardner ‘s “Encyclopedia of Impromptu Magic pages 8 and 40. Also see Karl Fulves “Self-Working Table Magic” page 44. This would be the sixth category of Perverse Magic.

You pick up a roll from the bread basket and say, “Wow! They have these bouncing rolls here.” And you throw the roll to the floor and they hear it hit the floor and then it bounces up and you catch it and put it on your plate. You explain that it’s a bouncing roll but you don’t understand why – or how.

You pretend to throw the roll to the floor but don’t let it go and your foot taps the floor at the time the roll would have hit. Then your hand holding the roll turns palm up and tosses the roll into the air and it is caught by either hand.

Coin in Sugar Packet

Sol Stone and I contributed this to Harry Lorayne’s Apocalypse and it appears as “Sweet Ten” in the June 1995 issue on page 2514. It can be presented as Perverse Magic.

Effect

“I have a new trick I want to try. It’s called The Floating Dime. Does anyone have a dime?”

A woman across from him smiles and reaches into her purse and hands the magician a dime.

“Thanks. He puts the dime in his left hand and snaps his right hand and says “Float” as he opens his left hand and – and – the dime is gone!

The magician shakes his head. “I hate when this happens. I did something wrong.” He reaches for and takes a sugar packet from the bowl that holds sugar packets, tears the top of the packet off and slowly pour the sugar into a small plate and the dime clinks as it it’s the plate.

The magician shakes his head and hands the dime back to the smiling woman.

Preparation

1 Secretly steal a sugar packet from the bowl that holds them and go into the men’s room in the restaurant.

2 I use an open paper clip that I carry and I push the point of the clip into the sugar packet and slide it making a slit. I push a dime into the slit.

3 I return and quietly replace that packet as I reach for a roll (perhaps to do the Bouncing Roll) or a salt shaker or whatever but I remember which packet it is.

Performance

Simple – I borrow a dime and vanish it (lapping it so my hands are empty) and take
The prepared sugar packet and tear it open and find the dime there.

Note this is both the second and sixth category of Perverse Magic. The magician says one thing will happen but something else does and he doesn’t understand why it happens (“I hate when this happens.”)

Gerald Deutsch
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » March 1st, 2015, 10:31 am

David Levitan
David Levitan, the inventor of Gypsy Yo-Yo, is a professional magician who performs for various groups including adults, teen-agers etc. He and I belong to a club that has 10 magicians and we meet once a month.
During a recent club meeting I performed an effect using Perverse Magic.
David then told me that some 30 years ago he recalls that he was performing at a Bar Mitzvah and he performed a Linking Ring routine where the youngster was able to link the rings but not David, the magician and he became frustrated.
I was in the audience and at the conclusion I went up to him and told him, “Hey I liked your Perverse Ring routine.” I didn’t know it then but David now told me that he thought I was insulting him. “At the time," he said, "I was confused and concerned by your comment. I have known since I joined this club that you meant it as a compliment.”
I have recently seen some videos of David performing and I see that he does use Perverse Magic as part of his act and his audience loves it.

I have always believed that the prime purpose of magic is to entertain.

Gerald Deutsch
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » March 1st, 2015, 10:32 am

Mysterious Match

Tony Mulle was one of the nicest of the people that met at Reuben’s before it closed and shortly before he died Tony taught me this which he told me it is based on an Al Leech effect. Wesley James, one of Tony’s very good friends, made some excellent suggestions to me that are incorporated here.

Effect

A card is selected and the spectator is told not to look at it. She is given half the deck face up and told to put her card face down on the face up packet and cut the packet and turn the packet face down. She is then asked to spread the half deck and of course her card shows face up in the center.

The magician spreads his half packet face down, explaining that he never understood why this happens but look – the mate of the selected card is face up in his packet. The magician shrugs, not understanding what makes this happen – the sixth category of Perverse Magic.

Method

1 You’re handed a deck and you go through it quickly and look for 2 mates together (or, if not found, two are put together) and cut the deck at that point bringing both to the top.

2 Cut the top card to the bottom and slip the now top card to the center and force it using the Classic Force and tell the spectator not to look at it.

3 Give the spectator the top half of the deck turning it face up as you do.

4 Tell the spectator to put her face down card on top of the face up packet and cut the packet.

5 Tell the spectator to turn her packet face down.

6 As she does you turn your packet face up reversing the mate of the forced card so it is face down on the bottom of the face up packet.

To do this hold the deck face down and perform the “Deck Turnover Reverse” (See “Card College Volume 2 page 372).

Basically get a break above the bottom card and turn the whole deck face up
EXCEPT the bottom card by having the left edge of the deck glide along the
face of the bottom card.

(Or sometimes after getting the break over the bottom card I slide all of the
other cards FORWARD so that the INNER edge and not the left edge glides
against the face up bottom card.)

The mate is now face down on the bottom of the face up packet.

Cut your half of the deck, burying the face down card that is on the bottom in the center.

Tell the spectator to turn her packet face down and spread her packet and her card shows face up in the center.

Spread your packet showing the face down card in the face up packet. Turn over the face down card and show the mate and explain you don’t know why that happens.

Note – if you miss the force just do another trick with the selection. There are some
effects where, if you miss the force, the effect is ruined. In such a case, though I
rarely miss with the Classic Force, I use a different force, like, for example the
Hindu Shuffle Force.

(In a case like this, if I do miss the Classic Force, rather than do another effect, I
might have the card replaced on top of the deck and say “Don’t let me see the card”
and then, push the card off the deck with my left thumb and turn if face up by
grasping it between my left first and second fingers and extending these fingers.
See page 51 of The Royal Road To Card Magic. It gets a laugh and I can again try
the Classic Force on another spectator.)

A briefer version of a similar effect was posted here in the Perverse Magic thread
in June of 2011 as Match Prediction.

submariner
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby submariner » March 3rd, 2015, 10:50 am

Thank you for continuing to post these. I'd love to see a book dedicated to this subject (although the posts you have contributed essentially constitute a book on the topic).
Key Metric of a Successful Submarine Career - The number of dives and surfaces should always total to an even number.

Gerald Deutsch
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » April 1st, 2015, 6:04 am

Thank you Submariner. My purpose on this thread is to show how Perverse Magic can be used with so many effects to make the magic more entertaining.

It can be used as an incident in a prepared magic presentation or as a quick interlude by itself.

Back on this thread, in November of 2014, I posted , “Oh You Have One Of These Pens!” and I did this the other day as I was checking out of a store after giving my credit card. The cashier had given me a pen to sign the charge slip. She wasn’t busy and looked a bit bored (I wouldn’t have done this if she was busy or if people were waiting) so I pretended the pen wouldn’t write, I looked at it and then, as I explained in the November 2014 posting, I slapped the hand holding the pen with the other hand and a quarter fell to the counter. I looked puzzled and gave the cashier the quarter. She laughed.

I’ve always maintained that presentation is the most important aspect of performing magic. So many writers show magicians as clumsy or less than intelligent.

Gerald Deutsch
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » April 1st, 2015, 6:05 am

Perverse Magic - Some History

I think I first became interested in Perverse Magic when I saw Roy Benson producing white billiard balls and when a red ball appeared he looked confused and looked in a book to try to understand what happened.

I first learned the term “Perverse Magic” when reading Dariel Fitzkee’s “Showmanship For Magicians” where he says:

“Charles Waller devotes a section in his ‘Up His Sleeve’ to what he calls ‘Perverse Magic’. This is simply loss of control of the objects with which he is working to the extent the objects do what they please regardless of the performer.”

and

“Many angles from which to present a magic act may be found if a little thought is given to the subject. Charles Waller suggested a field that has been untouched as far as I know. This is a type of magic referred to before in this work, which he calls ‘Perverse Magic’. In this type of presentation the tricks seem to take charge of affairs themselves doing quite the reverse of what the performer wishes.”

And in the Charles Waller book, “Up His Sleeve” he says:

“In the usual form of magical entertainment the most extraordinary things happen, professedly because the performer wills that it should be so. He utters a command, waves his wand, or fires a pistol and every natural law is apparently set at naught. In what I choose to call perverse magic, surprising things happen, despite the influence of the magician, and sometimes without his knowledge.

“This is a mode of presentation that I have, for years, applied to certain tricks, and found productive of the most delightful results. Not only does this departure from the stereotyped style provide a pleasant change; but its discreet use helps the create a very desirable magical atmosphere. The spectators cannot help but feel that they are living in a world of wonders when inanimate objects, taking the audience into their confidence, so to speak, execute droll and astounding actions behind the magician’s back. Let me give a few examples.”

As I’ve pointed out on this thread, Perverse Magic is not magic that goes wrong but magic that happens by itself against what the magician wants or expects to happen.

I tried to break Perverse Magic into six categories as follows: (1) something happens without the performer’s knowledge, (2) the performer says one thing will happen but something else does, (3) the performer says he’s going to do something but it happens by itself, (4) the performer is caught, he admits it but then he and the audience are surprised, (5) the performer and the audience are on different planes and (6) the performer explains something that will happen but he doesn’t understand why it happens.

I’ve also pointed out that an entire act need not be Perverse Magic but, as Roy Benson showed, one incident can make a huge impression.

This thread shows how Perverse Magic can be used in familiar effects to enhance their entertainment value.

Gerald Deutsch
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » April 1st, 2015, 6:06 am

Perverse Quarter, Nickel and Penny

The May 2000 issue of Genii was dedicated to the magic of Japan and on page 28 there’s an excellent effect by Tomoyuki Takahashi called Fading Coins. The effect lends itself for a presentation of the fifth category of Perverse Magic – the performer and the audience are on different plains.

The effect as written is that the performer takes out a penny, nickel and quarter but while they are “imaginary” the performer tells the spectator that he is to choose one and that one will appear.

The Perverse Magic presentation is to say that the three coins are invisible and when the spectator chooses one the performer says he will make it vanish. The spectator chooses one and the performer “picks it up”, puts it in his hand, snaps his finger but low and behold, the very coin chosen by the spectator is now there, visible. The performer’s hands are empty and that’s the only coin. “Darn! It didn’t work.”

(The ending is something like the ending for David Roth’s Legendary Coin Trick. See this thread above – December 1, 2005.)

You have a penny classic palmed in your right hand and a quarter classic palmed in your left hand and you pretend you have a quarter, nickel and penny which you lay out on the table. Then:

* If the spectator chooses the quarter you “pick up the penny and nickel” with your right hand and put “them” into your right pocket getting rid of the palmed penny.

* If the spectator chooses the penny you “pick up the quarter and nickel” with your left hand and put “them” into your left pocket getting rid of the palmed quarter.

* The presentation is a bit different if she chooses the nickel. In that case you
say, “Okay, we’ll use the nickel. I’ll make the penny and the quarter vanish” and you pick up the “quarter and penny” in your left and right hands respectively and blow on your hands and – they are both visible.

Like all Perverse Magic, it is not the magician saying how good he is but he’s frustrated or surprised by what happens.

Instead of saying “Ta da” the magician says “Darn!”

Bill Mullins
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Bill Mullins » April 1st, 2015, 9:25 am

This thread gets a nice shout-out in Curtis Kam's Penguin Live lecture.

Gerald Deutsch
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » May 1st, 2015, 6:32 am

In The Card Box

Effect

1 “Hey guys, I just learned a new trick,” says the magician as he pulls a deck of cards out of his pocket, removes the deck from the case and tosses the case on the table.

2 He approaches a girl and as he spreads the deck he tell her to take a card. She does.

3 He has her replace the card and he shuffle the deck.

He looks confused. He puts the deck in his right hand as he reaches into his left pocket looking for something. Not finding what he’s looking for, he takes the deck in his left hand and reaches into his right pocket and comes out with a paper.

4 He puts the deck on the table and looks at the paper and nods and then he cuts the deck and says that her card will be where he cut. It’s not. He is confused. He looks at the paper again, still confused. He spreads the deck on the table face up - – no trace of the card in the deck. He is confused.

He scratches his head, looks at the paper quickly and then unsure he says for her to look in the card box that’s been on the table all along.

Sure enough, the card is there – much to the confusion of all – including the magician.

Background

“Hey guys, I just learned a new trick,” This is something I would do at an
appropriate time during a business meeting. An appropriate time – like before –or
after a coffee break or lunch. If the meeting has been intense this may loosen the
mood – especially presented as Perverse Magic where the performer doesn’t
understand.

Preparation

A duplicate card is used and the two identical cards are on top of the deck in the
card case. A paper – the “instructions” is in the right trouser pocket.

Method

The numbers below correspond with the numbers under Effect.

1 When pulling the deck out of the case the left index finger keeps the top card – one of the duplicates in the case.

2 Using the classic force the girl is asked to take a card and she takes the duplicate of the card in the card box.

3 The forced card is controlled to the top and is palmed in the right
hand.

The deck is taken in the right hand as the left hand goes to the left pocket `looking for something.

This takes the heat off the right hand with the palmed card.

Not finding the paper the deck is taken in the left hand as the right hand goes to the right pocket and gets the paper and leaves the forced card.

4 You must be a good actor here or you will lose the audience. You look confused but let them know it’s part of the trick. You keep looking at the paper and say something like “I don’t know where your card is – I don’t think it’s in the deck--.” This way the audience will be looking to see – because it had to be in the deck.

And then when you tell her to look in the card box that has been laying there untouched based on what the paper says you have a good Perverse Magic effect.


Some Notes:

One of the rules I follow with Perverse Magic is that if I say (x) will happen and (y) happens instead then(y) must b stronger than (x). So, for example if I had the woman shuffle the cards instead of my just cutting the deck, if the card was found after she shuffled that might be stronger than the card being in the card case. But having the card where I cut, I don’t think is stronger than finding the card in the case that has been on the table all along.

If the force is missed then you can just find the card in your pocket, still being confused as to why it wasn’t where I cut. It’s stronger to have the card found in the card case that was in full view all the time but should the force be missed--- well – a good “out”.

Good Perverse Magic – the magician has no idea how this all happened.

Jack Shalom
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Jack Shalom » June 1st, 2015, 7:13 am

Here's my little contribution to the genre, using Gerry's general concept, as applied to the torn and restored newspaper.

It's before an obviously friendly crowd (high school talent show) but you'll get the idea.

It's a video about 3 minutes long.

http://jackshalom.net/2015/05/30/magic-saves-the-day/

Gerald Deutsch
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » June 1st, 2015, 8:00 am

Quarter App

Background

On November 1, 2014 I posted “Oh You Have One Of These Pens” on this thread, the effect of which is that you pick up a spectator’s pen, pretend to examine it, pull off the cap, look at the cap and then shake it. A quarter drops out from the cap though the diameter is much smaller than the diameter of the quarter. You give the quarter to the spectator, put the cap back on the pen and place it back on her desk.

I explained there that this was an example of the sixth category of Perverse Magic – Performer explains something that will happen but he doesn’t understand why it happens.

A quick trick and, as I suggested, you let the spectator keep the quarter – I mean, it came from her pen.

Last month I was a guest at a Bar Mitzvah confirmation party where there were lots of teenagers. Almost every one of them had a cell phone. I couldn’t resist!

Effect

“Oh does that cell phone have the “quarter app”? you ask the confused teenager.

You’re curious so you take their phone in your right hand by its sides between your fingers and thumb and tell the youngster to hold out his – or her – hand. He or she does.

You hold the cell phone over the outstretched hand and your left hand taps the top of the phone and a quarter falls into the teenager’s hand.

“Oh it does. Isn’t it a great app?” you say as you walk away putting the cell on top of the quarter in the open hand.

Method

As with the pen effect, the quarter is Classic Palmed in the right hand. When you hold the cell in that hand between the thumb and fingers the quarter remains Classic Palmed and the hand appears otherwise empty.

The slap on the top of the cell phone dislodges the quarter and has it fall into the spectator’s open hand.

It’s his or her phone so he or she should be able to keep the quarter.

(If it becomes too expensive because you want to do this for many kids you can use a nickel instead of a quarter but it’s easier to Classic Palm a quarter.)

Gerald Deutsch
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » June 1st, 2015, 8:01 am

Vanishing Things

A “vanish” is one of the basic magic effects and, as my friend Sol Stone always said, it is stronger than a “production” and it is an ideal type of effect for “Perverse Magic”.

In Perverse Magic I distinguish here between having something “vanish” (which falls into the 2nd classification of Perverse Magic – the Performer says one thing will happen but something else does) and having something become “invisible” (which falls into the 5th or 6th category – the performer and audience are on separate planes in being able to see the object or the object just becomes invisible and the performer just doesn’t understand why).

Since one of my beliefs regarding “Perverse Magic” is that what happens must be stronger than what the performer says will happen, I feel a vanish is ideal for Perverse Magic.

I’ve noted some “vanish” ideas above. Note back in December 2002 where I suggest coming out with a cage and saying it will float and then it vanishes. Also, see Encore To Pen Coin Routine posted above on November 1, 2006.


Here are several vanishing effects that are good examples of Perverse Magic:

Deck Vanishes

Standing

See “A Study in Frustration Again” this thread above March 2008.

Sitting

In Randy Wakeman’s lecture notes (“Formula One”) he describes Ed Marlo’s “Olram Vanishing Deck which has the deck lapped as it is shuffled. This could be good Perverse Magic.

As noted below, however, I would reproduce the deck.

Another routine is described in Frank Garcia’s Super Subtle Card Mysteries and my presentation is as follows (the effect is done seated since the deck is lapped to vanish it).

Effect

Three cards are selected and shuffled back into the deck and the performer says he will find them. He covers the deck with a handkerchief and reaches under and produces the first selected card and then the second. He seems to be having trouble finding the third card and when he removes the handkerchief, much to the performer’s surprise the deck is gone. He looks in his pockets and pulls out cards packets at a time from his right hand rear pocket being confused as he does.

Method

The three selected cards are returned to the deck and two of them are controlled to the bottom. The third is lost. A break is taken above the two cards on the bottom. When the handkerchief covers the deck the hand is lowered so that there is no space between the handkerchief and the table. The left hand releases pressure on the deck and all the cards except the two under the break fall to the performer’s lap.

(See discussion about not producing the last selected card on this thread May 1, 2011 under Perverse Card Stab. Again, this is the second classification of Perverse Magic – the performer says one thing will happen – he will find the selected card – and something else does – the deck vanishes. I’ve always maintained that in such a case what happens here, the vanishing deck - must be stronger than what you say will happen – finding a selected card. And that you’ve already done with two of the three cards. )

I feel that this has to be cleaned up so that the performer can get up and so the deck has to be reproduced. I’ve described before how I do this based on what Slydini taught me:

My left and goes to my left pocket looking for the cards as my right hand drops to my lap and onto the lapped deck.

My right hand palms the deck. Actually it just takes the deck and covers it as best as it can as the hand goes directly to the rear pocket (and out of sight) as the body turns to the right. I have a confused look on my face as I start searching for the deck.

I deposit the deck in my pocket and pull out a few cards and then go back and pull out a few more, acting confused throughout.

(Note that having to go back to the pocket for more cards after producing a few cards leads credence to the fact that the cards are really in the pocket. If there is something else in that pocket, say, a wallet, I would produce that after the first batch of cards and then go back for more cards.)


The Vanishing Quarter

Effect

I ask a woman for a quarter and way I will make it multiply into 2 quarters but. To my surprise, it vanishes. I take a quarter out of my pocket and give it to the woman and tell her I have to practice more.

Method

I use the classic palm to vanish the quarter. I follow As Schneider’s advice of having the quarter on my right palm (or as David Roth suggests, on the fleshy part of my hand at the base of my fingers) and close my hand and turn in palm down and palm the quarter in the classic palm. I then bring my thumb and fingers together as if they held the quarter and pretend to put it in my left hand.

I take the woman’s hand with my right hand – which goes a long way in showing my hand apparently empty and have her fingertips touch my now closed left hand which is believed to hold the quarter. I let go of her hand and snap my right hand – another indication that my right hand is empty. I’m then surprised and disappointed when there is nothing in my left hand.

I put both hands in my pockets and pull out a handful of change from my right pocket and take a quarter with my left hand from the change and give it to the woman and then I put the rest of the change back into my pocket with the palmed quarter.

Note by taking one quarter from the change and giving it to the woman, I’m following through with the concept that her quarter vanished and I’m giving her one of mine. In this case, if I just put my right hand into my right pocket and pulled out her quarter she might just conclude that “I had it in my hand”.

Vanishing – good Perverse Magic.

Gerald Deutsch
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » July 1st, 2015, 6:32 am

Perverse Torn And Restored Card

Effect

1 A card is selected and returned to the deck and the deck shuffled. Let’s say the selected card is the 2D.

2 The magician says he will find the card and drops the deck on the table and the KS turns face up.

3 “That wasn’t my card,’ says the spectator. “Oh what’s the difference?” says the magician. “This is a new trick and I’m confused. Let me try something.”

The magician tears the KS into quarters and tells the spectator to sprinkle salt on the pieces. She does. The magician puts his hands together and when he separates them he opens the card and the KS is now restored – except that it has the folds in it. The KS is turned face down on the magician’s left hand.

4 “It’s a new trick and I’m not sure of it,” says the magician. “What was your card?”

“It was the 2D,” says the spectator.

The magician, still looking confused, turns over the card on his hand – with the fold still in it and – and – it’s the 2D.

The magician scratches his head – still confused.

Background

My friend Ben Cohen showed me a torn and restored card which gave me the
thought of presenting this as Perverse Magic.

Of course as this involves lapping it will not be appropriate for many situations but
hey, I’m a student of Slydini and:

Sometimes in order to get them clapping
When I do magic I must do lapping

Preparation

Two duplicate cards are needed. In this example you would need a duplicate 2D and
KS. Both are folded in quarters. The KS remains folded and the 2D is opened.

Both are on your right thigh , the 2D face down closer to your knee and the KS
closer to you body.

The 2D is on top of the deck and the KS below it.

(Note – any cards can be used by they should contrast with each other. Here a red
spot card and a black picture card.)

There should be a salt shaker on the table.

Method

The numbers below correspond to the numbers under Effect above.

1 The 2D is of course forced. It goes back into the deck and need not be controlled as it won’t be used again.

The Ks, however, must be kept on top.

2 I am suggesting using the move Harry Lorayne suggests in his “Quinella” – that is, the top card – the KS is pushed a bit to the right and when the deck is dropped to the table the air will cause the KS to turn face up.

3 When the card is torn the pieces are in the left hand and that hand is extended to the spectator to sprinkle salt on it and that action allows your right hand to drop on top of the folded KS on your thigh. It is taken in thumb palm position in the right hand.

The hands come together and as they do the pieces in the left hand is propelled to your lap – like in the sleeving move – and the thumb palmed card is dropped into the left hand. The hands are pressed together and when separated the card is opened to show the KS is restored.

The KS is turned face down and stays in your left hand.

4 The trick is over. No heat now.

The 2D on your lap is palmed in your right hand.

A move similar to that used in 3 above is done but not as a move. The now 2D is taken by both hands on the sides – which shows the hands empty and casually tossed on the table.

Good Perverse Magic

Gerald Deutsch
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » August 1st, 2015, 6:34 am

Perverse Benson Bowl Routine – Stand Up

Way back on this thread – April 2, 2004 – I posted “The Sponge Ball- Cup Routine which I said was a combination of the ideas of Slydini, Roy Benson and Dr. Jaks. That routine was a ‘sit down’ routine involving “lapping”.

Sometimes it’s not practical to be able to be seated and you may have to be standing before a group. This is such a routine and, as presented, with the performer being confused, amazed and surprised it’s a good example of Perverse Magic.

Effect

1 The magician asks a woman to help him and when she joins him he shows her that he just bought a new trick that he wants to try.

He shows her he has a small bag on the table and from that bag he removes:

* A bowl

* A part of a tree branch – which he says is his magic wand – but he looks at it questioningly.

“The guy in the magic shop said I didn’t have to spend the money for a magic wand I could just use any wood so I’m going to try this.”

* A purse frame

“I don’t understand this but this frame is supposed to work without a bag.” He shrugs.

2 The magician produces a sponge ball from the purse frame and he looks amazed and he gives it to the woman to hold and he stares at the purse frame and then puts the purse frame into his right jacket pocket.

3 He says he’s going to make the ball go from his hand to the bowl. He takes the ball from the woman and puts the ball into his left hand and touches his hand with the stick and touches the bowl. He opens his left hand and the ball is still there.

He is confused. He scratches his head. It didn’t work. He examines the ball and gives it back to the woman to hold.

“Let me try to get another ball.”

4 He takes out the purse frame and takes another ball from it.

5 Again he puts the new ball into his left hand, touches his hand and then the bowl with the stick.

This time – success – the ball is gone from his left hand. He is surprised. But it’s not under the bowl. He is confused.

He scratches his head and then he feels something at his neck and pulls the ball from his collar. He is more confused.

6 This time when he puts the ball in his left hand and touches his left hand and the bowl with the stick the ball vanishes from the hand and appears under the bowl. He is pleased but appears a bit surprised.

7 “I think it’s this stick – uh – magic wand that does it all. Look, if I put one ball in my left hand and one in my pocket—and touch my hand with the stick—“ He does and shows two balls in his left hand. He is happy.

This is repeated. The magician is pleased.

And repeated again but this time only one ball is in the left hand. The magician is confused. He looks under the bowl and there it is. He scratches his head again.

8 “Let me try something – look—” He puts one ball in his left hand and gives one to the woman and then taps both his hand and hers with the stick and he shows his left hand empty and when the spectator opens her hand – there are two balls.

9 “But my favorite is making it go from my hand to the bowl.” He again puts a ball into his left hand, taps his left hand and taps the bowl. It is gone from his left hand and under the bowl is – is a bagel. He is confused and gives the bagel to the woman to keep.

Needed

1 Small bag to hold:

* Purse frame

* 2 Sponges

* Wand (as noted I use a stick from a branch)

* Bowl (one of the sponges inside)

2 Bagel – in right jacket pocket

3 Sponge in left jacket pocket

4 Sponge under collar

Routine

Because in step 8 the ball goes from his hand to the woman’s she should be where all can see her and it makes sense to have her come up at the beginning of the routine.
Likewise, it makes sense to give her the bagel as a “reward” for helping.

The numbers below correspond with the numbers under Effect

1 You have a sponge in the bowl and you cover the sponge with your right hand as you remove the bowl from the bag and turn it face down on the table leaving the ball underneath.

Show the stick and say that you’re supposed to use a magic wand but this is all you could get.

Take the other sponge with your left hand and take the purse frame with that hand.

2 Reach into the purse frame with your right hand and take the sponge at your fingertips.

The woman is up there and by giving her the sponge to hold you make her feel useful.

Put the purse frame in your right jacket pocket.

3 Put the sponge in your left hand (really) and tap your left hand and then the bowl with the stick. Put the stick back in the bag.

Sponge still in left hand. Again give it to the woman to hold.

4 Left hand goes into left pocket and right hand goes into right pocket. Right hand comes out first with purse frame and left hand comes out with sponge palmed. Purse frame put into left hand and sponge produced.

5 Retention vanish – Get wand from bag tap – then replace wand in bag and LEAVE BALL IN BAG WITH WAND. Show ball gone from left hand. Lift bowl so only you can see and pretend no ball underneath – though there is.

Take ball from collar.

6 Retention vanish – wand taps hand and bowl and success – went from hand to bowl. As replacing bowl leave sponge in right hand underneath.

7 As you pick up the wand you also pick up the sponge in the bag. You put one of the sponges that’s on the table into your left hand adding the sponge in your right hand. Put the other sponge that’s on the table in your right pocket but hold onto it.

Repeat this but leave the sponge in your pocket. Show two

Repeat and again leave on in pocket and palm bagel.

Show one. Look confused. With left hand lift bowl and show. Look confused. Put bowl back and load bagel.

8 Do a retention vanish of a sponge and then adding the ball to the other ball on the table and giving the ball(s) to the woman.

9 Another retention vanish and showing the bagel to the surprise of all including the magician.

Just a point about this ending. In the April 2nd 2004 posting noted above, Pete Biro felt that the ending should be – what it is here – under the bowl. There I disagreed, feeling that having 12 sponges come out of the woman’s hand is stronger and yet – and yet – here I’m ending with the bagel under the bowl.

Here’s why.

I continue to believe that one of the strongest parts of any sponge ball routine is having a sponge appear in a woman’s spectator’s hand BUT I strongly believe that should happen ONLY ONCE! That is, I think it’s wrong to have three in the spectator’s hand after there were two. The surprise is lost. The first appearance is so much stronger than the second.

But here – as a “platform” performance the ending can’t be “two in the spectator’s hand” because those not up close can’t appreciate that ending and so I QUICKLY end with the bagel under the bowl which gets a laugh - a good way to end. And the magician’s confusion makes it Perverse Magic.

The confused magician – good Perverse Magic

Jack Shalom
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Jack Shalom » August 1st, 2015, 8:44 am

Thanks very much for this, Gerald.

Evan Shuster
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Evan Shuster » August 1st, 2015, 12:52 pm

I love this thread. I've always felt that it would have made a terrific Genii column. So glad to have it here on the forum.

Gerald Deutsch
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » September 1st, 2015, 7:14 am

CUTTING THE ACES – 2

Background

I posted a Perverse Magic Cutting The Aces on this thread above on May 1, 2004. This is another version based on Al Leech’s Ace Location in his “Manipulation With Leech”

Effect

1 The magician removes the 4 aces from the deck and says he’s going to lose them into the deck and using his great skill, find them.

He inserts the aces in different parts of the deck and cuts the deck.

2 He spells out A C E O F C L U B S and turns up – a 5.

3 The magician is a bit embarrassed and says “Let me try that again.” He cuts the deck and with a fancy maneuver one card comes up and it’s – another 5

The audience is beginning to see a pattern but the magician seems concerned.

4 He cuts the deck again – trying hard but to his concern he gets – the third 5.

5 The magician shuffles the deck and tells a spectator to say “stop” and he stops at that point and shows – as 7.

“Wait – wait – I understand now – this means I have to count 7 cards.”

He does and finds – the last 5.

6 He gives up in exasperation!

Comment

The purpose of magic, I believe, is to entertain. If the magician had cut to the four
Aces it would be a show of skill that many audiences have seen before. But isn’t it
also a show of skill when the four fives are found? And doesn’t the magician’s
supposed error and confusion add much to the entertainment?

That’s what Perverse Magic is.

Preparation

The four 5s are on top of the deck and on top of them a 7.

The four aces are scattered but in the lower half of the deck.
(Having to look for the aces makes the audience less likely to think of a set up deck
By having the aces near the bottom it will take less time to find them and avoid
losing the audience’s interest.)

Method

The numbers below follow the numbers above under Effect.

1 You go through the deck and remove the aces.

Then insert the aces into different parts of the deck and push them flush. They are lost – no need to control them.

You then spread the deck face up and secure a break under the 6th card from the face. Double cut to that break. (The reason this is done AFTER the aces are lost is to avoid the possibility of one or the aces being placed into the setup needed on top. If an ace is one of the 6 cards it’s no problem.)

2 Turn the deck face down and spell A C E O F C L U B S and turn over a 5 as the last spelt card.

Put the dealt cards – except the 5 - on top of the deck.

3 There are now 2 5s on top followed by a 7 and the last 5 is 10 cards down.
Cut the top 5 to the bottom.

Hold the deck by the narrow ends in the right hand between the thumb and 2nd finger. The left index finger presses against the inner narrow edge and swivels a small packet from the center to the left with the right thumb being a fulcrum and it is gripped between the left thumb and left palm. The packet is allowed to fall into the left hand and the left thumb is on top. The right hand packet is put on top and the left thumb moves to the left taking with it the bottom card of the top packet which turns face up on top of the full pack.

4 A 5 is on top with a 7 under that and the last 5 nine cards down.

Do a quick jog shuffle keeping that stack intact and turn over what you want to be the third ace but show another 5.

5 Do a face up Hindu Shuffle telling the spectator to say “Stop” and when she does drop the face up packet in your right hand on the face up packet in your left hand BUT INJOGGED half the deck.

Turn the deck face down and pull out the lower injogged packet and drop it on the top.

Remove the top card – a 7

Count 7 cards – the last 5

6 Good Perverse Magic.

Gerald Deutsch
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » October 1st, 2015, 6:32 am

I’ll Make The Aces Turn Face Up

Background

I posted two “Perverse Cutting The Aces” effects on this thread , one last month and one on May 1, 2004. In both of these effects I try to get the four aces but, instead, I get four of the same indifferent cards (i.e. the four fives etc).

This is a quick Perverse follow up to the above.

It comes from Daryl’s Volte-Force in The Collection four (NY Magic Symposium), and ideas about this from Peter Marshall and Doug Edwards in Apocalypse page 1592 and 1593 in the January 1989 issue.

Effect

The magician has tried to cut to the four aces but instead has cut to the four fives. He is frustrated.

He picks up the four fives and asks a spectator to cut the deck and he puts the four fives face down and the lower half of the face down deck and has the spectator drop the top portion of the cut deck onto the four fives.

“I’ll make the aces turn face up,” says the magician as he snaps his fingers.

He spreads the deck and there, in the center are the same fives face up.

“I quit!” says the magician in frustration.

Method

1 The deck is held face up and the four fives are placed face up on the bottom.

2 The face up deck is spread showing the four fives on the bottom and break is taken under the first card after the fives (so a break is held under the five face up bottom cards, the four fives and an indifferent card).

3 The four fives are turned face down onto the card under which you have a break.

4 The five cards are taken by the smaller sides between the right thumb at the rear and the fingers at the front.

5 The deck is placed on the table and the packet of 4 (really 5) cards are taken in dealing position in the left hand.

6 As the magician asks the spectator to cut the deck he points to the deck with the index finger of his left hand which has the effect of turning the packet he holds over so that the indifferent card is not on top followed bu the face up 5s.

7 The packet is placed on the lower half and the spectator is asked to drop the upper portion on top.

8 The deck is spread showing the face up fives – to the surprise of the magician.

A “quickie’ Perverse magic effect.

Gerald Deutsch
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » November 1st, 2015, 6:09 am

Force Some

Background

I contributed this to Harry Lorayne’s Best Of Friends Volume III and, as Harry points out there, it was inspired by his routine “Foursome” in the Decksterity section of The Classic Collection.

It’s presented here as an example of Perverse Magic.

Effect

1 The magician asks a spectator to touch a card but not look at it. The card is placed face down on the table.

2 “Now I’ve developed a sort of card system that will tell me the name of that card you selected,” says the magician as he starts to go through the deck.

“Okay, this is a picture card – so that means the card is a picture card.” He shows the KH and puts it face down on the table.

He goes through the deck again and comes to the 7H. “This tells me it was a red card. So a red picture card.”

Once again he goes through the deck and shows the JD. “Okay, a Jack, a red Jack. “ He shows the three “locater cards’ and explains, ‘This said it was a picture card, this a red card, and since this is the JD the card is the JH.”

3 He turns up the card on the table and – and it’s the 4C. “I hate when this happens. A different trick is being done. Darn! Look----These are all 4s.” He turns up the three cards he used to determine the selected card and, instead of the KH, 7H, and JD are the other 3 4s.

“I quit!” he says, exasperated.

Method

The numbers below correspond with the numbers under Effect.

1 Before doing this effect I cut a low value spot card to the top. It is forced by means of the Classic Force and the spectator is told not to look at it as it is placed face down on the table.

2 I run through the deck and find a mate of the forced card and cut it to the top and find a picture card of the opposite color which I show as I say, “Okay, this is a picture card – so that means the card is a picture card.”

This is repeated I find another mate and cut it to the top and find a spot card of the opposite color from the forced card as I say, “This tells me it was a red (or black) card. So a red (or black) picture card.”

Once more – the last mate is cut to the top as I find another picture card the same color as the first card but the opposite suit as I say, “Okay, a Jack, (or whatever) a red Jack. “ and then as I comment on the previous cards I say, “This said it was a picture card, this a red card, and since this is the JD the card is the JH.”

3 As the forced card is shown, the three locater cards are switched for the mates of the forced card that are on top of the deck by means of a Multiple Top Change.

Harry Lorayne describes my handling of this very well on pages 286 and 287 of “Best Of Friends III” but I’ll do my best here.

Slydini and I were friends for many years and I learned much from him including what he calls his “timing principle”. Tony would gesture with his right hand and then “rest” as his right hand came to his left - where the, as Tony would say, – “dutty work was done” – and then the hands would separate. Tony used this for many moves including his famous “ImpPass”, some coin effects and even card effects. I use Slydini’s timing for the Multiple Top Change as follows:

I get a break under the 3 mates on top of the deck and with my left thumb I press in the upper left corner of the three cards causing the cards to pivot with the lower left corner as a fulcrum .

The three locater cards are in my right hand as I use them to gesture touching the forced card as I say, ‘This said it was a picture card, this a red card, and since this is the JD the card is the JH.”

I then “rest”, bringing my right hand to my left, with the cards in my right hand going between my left thumb and the side jogged mates and those mates are taken between my right first and second fingers.

With my left hand I point to the forced card and say, “Check it.” as my right thumb goes to the back of the mates as the right first finger releases its hold.

When the forced card is revealed the left hand puts the deck down and picks up the card as you look puzzled and then you turn over the cards in your right hand – the supposed locator cards and you’re surprised to see they are the mates of the card on the table.

Notes

1 By saying “I hate when this happens. A different trick is being done. Darn!” I’m bringing this into a version of the sixth category of Perverse magic. Something happens and the performer doesn’t know why. The magic is happening by itself. The result is real magic but there is no gloating.

2 I rarely miss when doing the Classic Force but it can happen and if it does here I would do Direct Ace Assembly which I contributed to Harry Lorayne’s “Best Of Friends Volume III”.

I would remove the 3 mates of the selected card, hold the 4 cards in a fan, have the spectator pick one, put it on the table, do the Multiple Top Change leaving the 3 mates on top of the deck and 3 indifferent cards in your right hand. These 3 indifferent cards are dealt face down on the table and the top cards (the mates) are dealt on the selected card and three cards are dealt on the three cards – the supposed mates. The effect is concluded when all the 4 mates are together.

performer
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby performer » November 1st, 2015, 7:36 am

Gerald Deutsch wrote:P


I continue to believe that one of the strongest parts of any sponge ball routine is having a sponge appear in a woman’s spectator’s hand BUT I strongly believe that should happen ONLY ONCE! That is, I think it’s wrong to have three in the spectator’s hand after there were two. The surprise is lost. The first appearance is so much stronger than the second.



I don't know about that. You mention that you were a student of Slydini. I use his sponge ball routine without the lapping and have a slightly different climax. His routine necessitates doing the thing several times. I have been doing this for decades now. If there had been a dilution of effect I rather think I would have noticed it by now.

I will concede you now have me worried. I have a video of myself doing it. I shall go back and check it to see if there is indeed a diminishing of effect since I repeat the thing about half a million times or so. I vaguely remember that the effect INCREASES with repetition but perhaps I am imagining it. If however you are correct you can blame Slydini not me.

I will check it out and report back. After all I love watching myself. I do it with rapt admiration all the time. I had better check to see if the admiration was warranted.

performer
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby performer » November 1st, 2015, 7:48 am

I just checked. You can check it yourself since I would be delighted to let you watch me with the same rapt admiration that I watch myself. I see absolutely no sign of the reaction lessening and in fact if anything, it actually increases with repetition.

There. I like to be perverse. After all this thread is about perverse magic.

The sponge balls starts at 38 seconds in. The ladies seem to be laughing their heads off no matter how many times I repeat the bloody thing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNrvn4XWGWc

Gerald Deutsch
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » December 1st, 2015, 6:47 am

Perverse Magic – Hector Mancha

I’ve seen a video of Hector Mancha and it’s a delightful act!

Not only his great skill but the music and his acting. His acting! Much Perverse Magic as what happens with the cards at times seems to confuse him.

I said before on this thread:

“I have long maintained that presentation is the most important aspect of a performance. There is no magic without an audience and an audience is there to be entertained and a good presentation is essential for entertainment.

Perverse magic is a form of presentation that puts the magician with the audience rather than, as is the case with the presentation of most magic, above the audience. It has the magician saying, “I don’t understand.” Instead of “Ta da!”

That doesn’t mean that every effect has to be presented that way – it can be enough that “something” happens that surprises the magician.”

Try to see the video of Hector Mancha.

Gerald Deutsch
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » December 1st, 2015, 6:47 am

IF YOU WANT TO LOSE WEIGHT – USE SALT

Effect

“You know, if you women really want you lose weight you should use lots of salt.”

Salt?” asked my wife’s friend sitting across from me at dinner. My wife shook her head. She knew what was coming.

“Yeah. I don’t understand it but I read about it somewhere and I tried it with this penny. Look.”

I showed a penny on my left palm and told the woman to sprinkle salt on it. She did. I brought my hands together for just a second and when I lifted my right hand the penny was now a quarter inch in diameter! It was tiny!

“I really don’t understand it. But I tried it on the penny and look.”

Discussion

1 I’ve always said that presentation is the most important ingredient in doing magic. Regardless of how skilled you are, if the audience is not entertained then what you do could be boring.

Perverse Magic tries to entertain. It’s not the magician saying “look how good I am” but, instead, the magician is confused or doesn’t understand or the magic is working against the magician.

(See this thread above – December 1, 2005 for my six classifications of Perverse Magic.)

2 On January 13, 2010 a Broken Wand ceremony was held for my old friend Bob Elliott on Long Island and so many old friends were there. I happened to meet Marty Steinberg (“Magic Marty”) who I hadn’t seen for years and when I said hello to him he gave me a handful of these tiny coins. That’s how Marty is.

That gave me the idea for this “quickie”.

3 The method is easy. The tiny coin is Thumb Palmed in my right hand and the regular penny is on my left palm.

After the woman sprinkles the salt, I bring my left hand to my body as my right hand approaches my left. Then (i) the regular penny is Lapped using the old Sleeving Move. I’ve described this several time above on this thread. As the hands come together the penny is propelled into the lap (the move is covered by the right arm) and at the same time (ii) the Thumb Palmed tiny penny is dropped on my left palm.

The hands are pressed together and quickly separated to show the value of salt if you want to reduce.

(Harry Lorayne describes the Sleeving Move in the September- October 1963 issue of Genii and on page 84 of his book Deck-Sterity. He indicates there that he doesn’t know who originated this move but says that the late Emil Jarrow used it for years. I, as a Slydini student, and as one that does much magic at a dinner table learned Lapping and adopted this Sleeving Move as a Lapping Move. I use it quite often.)

4 Note, this is a “quickie” and I don’t want to take the time to borrow a penny – which might not match the tiny one.

Perverse Magic when not expected.

Gerald Deutsch
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » January 1st, 2016, 6:21 am

NOW IT MATCHES – I DON’T UNDERSTAND!!!

Effect

“Show us a trick!” says the girl sitting at the table with her friends.

He reaches into his pocket and removes two decks of cards, one red and one blue. He casually picks up the blue deck and puts it back on the table and then picks up the red deck.

“These are Bicycle Cards. I just read about something you can do with these,” he says to one of the girls. “Look, touch one card. Don’t look at it or anything but just touch it.” The girl does and he puts that card face down in front of her.

He puts down the red deck and picks up the blue deck.

“Now if I just cut this deck and turn over the card I cut to--- the QS – it tells me that the card you touched is the QS too.”

He turns the QS face down and deals it next to the face down card the girl touched.

He turns the girl’s card face up and – and – it’s not the QS – it’s the 4H.

“Oh my – I-I don’t understand –.” He scratches his head and turns the card he cut to face up and now it’s not the QS but the 4H.

He steps back. “I really don’t understand!!”

Background

At a gathering of some of my magic friends, one of the “boys” did this but instead of using “the blue deck” he showed a packet of large cards with his picture on it holding a card. He put one of those cards in front of the spectator that chose a card from a regular deck and when it didn’t match the card he was holding in the picture now matched the selection. That led me to do the above with two regular decks.

Method

When the blue deck is picked up the top two cards are noted and set so that the second card should contrast with the top card (here the QS is second from the top and the 4H is on top).

When the red deck is picked up the duplicate of the top card of the blue deck is casually cut to the top – here the 4H - and then cut to the middle with a break held above it.

The spectator is asked to touch a card and using the Classic Force she touches the card under the break the 4H.

(Two points here. One, the Classic Force is perfect here because if you miss you can do something else first. I might suggest just controlling the “wrong” card and then cutting to it. Then, you bring in the blue deck after succeeding in forcing the card in the red deck. Two – it’s much easier to perform the Classic Force by having a spectator touch a card rather than taking a card.)

A few cuts of the blue deck bringing the deck back to original order and then of course a Double Lift is done when the “top” card is turned over showing the QC. The 4H is dealt face down.

The rest is good acting – which is needed for all Perverse Magic.

One more point. As written here this is done at a casual get together the way much magic is done by non professionals. The magician is not being paid. There is no requirement that he entertain for any period of time. That being said, I believe no other effect – at least not with cards – should be done at this time. Often magicians don’t know when to stop and at the end the spectators don’t remember what was done. Here, this being a strong effect – and presented entertainingly, it won’t be easily forgotten.

Gerald Deutsch
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » February 1st, 2016, 7:37 am

“Now Look Here” – a great Perverse Magic candidate.

I saw David Levitan, a fellow magician perform Chad Long’s “Now Look Here” and I immediately saw it as an effect that can be presented as Perverse Magic. Here’s my suggestion for such a presentation:

The magician says he just bought a new trick and though he’s not sure of how it works he wants to try it. He has a spectator select a card and it is shuffled back into the deck.

He tries to find the card but seems confused. He turns over the top card and there is a message on it that reads, “Look In Your Pocket”.

He puts that card on the table and turns to see a card sticking out of his pocket. He takes that card which reads, “Look On The Table”.

He scratches his head, confused. He turns over the card on the table and it now says, “Look In Your Hand”. Confused, he turns over the card in his hand which has changed to the selected card.

He is very confused.

Gerald Deutsch
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » February 1st, 2016, 7:38 am

MERGER PART 2 – WITH COINS

Effect

1 “So what did you learn being with the magicians this afternoon?” Kathy, Jack’s wife asked. Jack is a magician.

“Magicians?” asked Sue.

Sue is Kathy’s friend but she hadn’t met Jack. Nor had Jack nor Kathy ever met Bob, Sue’s husband. The women thought it would be a good idea for the four of them to go to dinner and all meet. And Kathy, unlike many magician’s wives, loved Jack to do ‘something” because (i) he never went on and on but did one, maybe two effects when they were out socially and (ii) he always presented his tricks in an entertaining way.

“My husband is an amateur magician and he meets “the boys” on Saturday afternoon to learn new stuff. So, what did you learn?”

2 “Do you have any change?” Bob, smiling, reaches into his pocket and comes out with a handful of change. Jack takes a dime and a penny and holds them heads up on his left palm.

“Look, I hold both coins heads up and if I press them---they will turn face down.” Jack brings his right hand over the coins and presses and then separates his hands and – and – only the penny is there. Jack picks up the penny and turns it over and gets very confused because it is a single coin but a penny on one side and a dime on the other. He spins the coin, confused and scratches his head. “Gee – Look at this! I don’t understand what happened.”

3 Finally he picks up the coin from the table and tosses it from his right hand to his left and it is a dime and a penny that are in his left hand which he tosses to the table showing both hands empty.

“I don’t understand – I must have done something wrong – let’s have another drink.” He hands the dime and penny back to Bob.

Method And Discussion

The numbers below correspond with the numbers under Effect.

1 I call this Merger Part 2 because back on this thread on November 1, 2010, I posted Merger using two playing cards and a double face card.

I saw my friend Wayne Haarhaus perform “The Famous Penny and Dime” and we discussed it and the “gimmick” a single coin, penny on one side and dime on the other and I got the idea for this effect.

Forgive me for making the points that entertainment is the most important part of a magic presentation. And again pointing out that Perverse Magic gives that entertainment because it’s not the magician being “more clever than everyone” but participating with everyone in what’s happening.

I contributed an effect called “For A Change” to Harry Lorayne’s Apocalypse (pages 1486 and 1925) where a borrowed quarter changes into tow dimes and a nickel and then back.

This is the same except the moves are done in reverse – that is here – as noted below, the “sleeve lap” is done first and the Bobo Switch later – the reverse as in For A Change”

2 Anyway, I start by having the gimmick coin class palmed in my right hand and as cover my left hand with my right I (i) let the dime and penny fall into my lap as the hands approach (like the sleeving move) and (ii) drop the gimmick coin on my left palm.

One of my firm beliefs in magic (and I’ve seen some top magicians violate this) is that if a magician says something will happen (A) and something else happens instead (B) then (B) must be stronger than (A). Here I’m just noting the coins are face up – and I’m going to make them turn face down –big deal!

3 To end the trick I recover the dime and penny from my lap and finger palm them in my right hand and then I do the Bobo Switch and (i) as soon as the dime and penny hits my left hand (ii) my right hand rests momentarily on the table edge and lets the gimmick coin fall to my lap and (iii) immediately the right hand moves away from table edge as the left hand tosses the dime and penny to the right hand (iv) showing both hands otherwise empty.

Also see “If You Want To Lose Weight” above December 1, 2015.

Perverse Magic when not expected.

I’ve often commented that magicians sometimes just don’t know “when to stop” – that is they do effect after effect and the audience won’t remember anything.
Here it’s a dinner setting – the magician is not being paid. I’m suggesting this one effect and only this effect be done at this time. It will be long remembered.

Gerald Deutsch
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » March 1st, 2016, 6:33 am

Harry Lorayne’s The Magic Eraser As Perverse Magic


The Magic Eraser, an effect of Harry Lorayne appears in “Reputation Makers” and “The Classic Collection Volume 2.

The effect is that magician shows a deck of cards that is set up from ace to king of each suit. He turns the deck face down and asks a spectator to touch a card. She does and the magician shows her the face of the card. It is kept in place as the deck is assembled and placed face down in front of her.

As written the magician tells the spectator, “Your card has been erased from the deck,” says the magician and he spreads the deck face up. The cards are still in order but where the selected card should be is now a blank card and there is no sign of the selected card.

As Perverse Magic you tell the spectator that you’re going to make her card turn face up in the deck. You ask for the name of the card and spread the deck and - and – nothing – all the cards are still face down. You try again. Same result.

Confused, you ask for the name of the selected card and run thru the deck and when you come to where the card should be you find – a blank card!

Further confused you look for her card and after looking in your pockets you find it in your rear pocket and you’re more confused.

Good Perverse Magic – what happens (a blank card in place of the selected card and the selected card in your pocket is stronger than having the selected card reverse itself. In Perverse Magic what happens must be stronger than what is expected to happen.)

Gerald Deutsch
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » March 1st, 2016, 6:34 am

BIG STOP

Effect

The walk around magician has just finished doing a coin effect for a group of people at a party.

“Would you like to see a card trick I just learned?” he asks and the four men nod and one of the four women smile. The magician takes out a deck of cards.

“Please take out a card,” the magician asks one of the women. She does. “Please show it to everyone. Good. Put it back in the deck.” he says as he shuffles the deck after the card is replaced.

“Now,” he says, “I’m going to put the deck in my inside jacket pocket and pull the cards out one at a time and anytime you say, ‘NOW’ the very next card I pull out will be your card. Okay?” Everyone nods.

The magician does that, puts the deck in his inside jacket pocket and starts to pull out the cards one at a time and lays each one face up on one of the woman spectator’s outstretched hand.

Suddenly the girl says “NOW”. The magician asks the name of the card and the woman says 5D. The magician brings out the next card and it is the 5D but – but it’s a jumbo card.

The magician is confused as he turns the card over, looks in his pocket, brings out the rest of the deck, shakes his head and says he’s very confused.

Discussion


1 On January 13, 2010 at a Broken Wand ceremony held for my old friend Bob Elliott a DVD of a lecture that Bob gave years before at a Magic In The Mountains convention held years before at the Vilagio resort sponsored by Mario Gonzalez and Steve Rodman. On that DVD, Bob notes this effect that he saw a young trade show performer do though Bob did not know his name.

I thought that a Perverse Magic presentation would make this very entertaining.

2 Of course the card is forced and then the card is controlled to the top of the deck. The cards you pull out all come from the bottom. (You don’t want to pull out the real selected card before the spectator says ?Now”.)

When the cards are taken from the pocket the selected card on top is let to stay in the pocket.

3 I’m suggesting using this as a follow up to a coin routine.

With walk around magic the opening effect must be quick to get the interest of your audience. (see discussion on this thread August 2010).

4 On the DVD Bob has the cards face down but with this Perverse Magic presentation I thought it best to have the cards face up as they are pulled from the pocket since the spectators – as is often the case with Perverse Magic, are on “the same side”.

Perverse Magic seems to fit this effect very well.

Gerald Deutsch
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » April 1st, 2016, 6:49 am

On May 1, 2008 I posted Quadruple Coincidence on this thread and recently someone pointed out that there is an error in number 3 under “The Routine” of that write up and so I’m reposting it with the correction.

Quadruple Coincidence

Effect

“It’s our second date,” the magician says to the woman he hopes he will build a relationship with. “I just read something about a way to see if we are a compatible couple. Should we try it?” “Of course, says the woman with a smile. “What do we do?” “Well, the article says we need two decks of cards. Do you have two decks of cards?” “Sure, I’ll get them.”

The woman brings in the cards and then:

1 The man has the woman pick up one deck and shuffle it while he shuffles the other deck. He then exchanges decks and each shuffle the new decks. “It’s important that both of us shuffle both decks. The original decks are again returned to the man and the woman.

2 “I read that it’s also important that we do everything as much alike as possible. Now I think you’re supposed to cut the deck into three piles. Yeah, Like that. Now pick up the top card of the middle pile and look at it but don’t show it to me and remember it. I’ll do the same with my cards. Okay, now we just put the card back and assemble the deck so that at this moment only you know the card you saw and only I know the card I saw.

3 Now hold my hand for a second. Good. Now if I remember this we have to change decks and we go through each other’s decks and when we see the card we looked at we just pull it half way up out of the deck but we don’t show each other our cards yet. Like this.”

4 In a few minutes both decks have a card protruding from the center. “Okay”, says the man, “Now just pull the card out face down on the table.

5 “Now cut off about three-quarters of the deck, like this. Good. Now count the cards in the smaller packet on the table like this. Good. I have thirteen. How many do you have? Thirteen? Hmmmm. This is interesting.”

6 “Now let’s see the cards we thought of. Hey – they match! I think we passed the compatibility test.”

7 The man then casually turns over the top cards of the four packets on the table and the two cards of the larger packet and the two cards of the smaller packet match. “Jeepers! Look at this! I don’t believe this!” he says. I’m going to find that article and write to the author and find out what this means!”

Comment

As presented this is an example of the sixth form of Perverse Magic – The performer
explains something that will happen but doesn’t’ understand why it happens.

Quadruple Coincidence has long been my favorite version of “Do As I Do” and
appears on page 97 of “Scarne on Card Tricks and on page 543 of Hugards Magic
Monthly.

I’ve come to the conclusion that showing the matching of the selected cards should
be done BEFORE showing the matching of the top cards of the packets and the top
cards of the packets should be, as Harry Lorayne would say, “an afterthought”.

The Routine

The numbers below correspond with the numbers above:

1 When the magician shuffles the woman’s deck he notes the bottom card before he returns it. This becomes “Key Card #1

2 I never cared much for having the selected card put on top of the deck and then cutting the deck bringing the key card from the bottom above the selected card. This procedure does the same thing in a less obvious way.

When the woman follows the magician in cutting the deck into three piles, the magician notes which of the three piles is the original bottom which will have “Key Card #1 on the bottom and when he tells her to assemble the deck he makes sure that what was the bottom third goes on TOP of the third that has the selected card on top. Thus the Key Card #1 is on top of the selected card.

(Of course the magician ignores the card he sees in his deck when he cuts his deck into three piles.)

3 Three things are done here:

* The magician spreads the deck with the cards facing him and pulls up Key Card #1 and leaves it protruding from the deck.

* The magician notes the card on the bottom. This is Key Card #2.

* The magician puts the protruding card (Key Card #1) on top.

4 When the magician gets the spectator’s deck he:

* looks for Key Card #2 and cuts it to the bottom.

* looks for Key Card #1 and:

** puts in on the top

** upjogs the card under it (the card the woman looked at).

* pulls the upjogged card out of the deck and leaves it face down on the table (Doing it this way avoids the spectator cutting the deck and upsetting the cards set on the top and bottom.

5 The magician counts the cards in the small packet as the spectator does but:

* He deals the cards face down reversing the order (as does the spectator) so that Key Card #2 that was on the bottom is on top when the count is finished.

* The magician listens to the spectator’s cards as they are dealt so that he knows how many she has.

* He does not count his, he just deals as if he was counting but he holds his hands together so no spectator can know the number of cards he has.

* He names the number he knows the woman has.

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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » April 1st, 2016, 6:50 am

Silver Extraction

This is a popular effect and appears in, among other places, Bobo page 187, Coinmagic page 134 (Geoff Latta), Funny Stuff (Tom Ladshaw)

The effect usually has the magician give the spectator a half dollar to hold and he runs a lit match around the spectator’s hand and when the hand is open, instead of the half dollar is a transparent coin and a lump of metal. The silver was extracted.

I feel that this can be presented as good Perverse Magic.

Also, since half dollars are rare, I prefer to use two borrowed quarters and change them to a half dollar.

Effect

1 “Do you want to see a new trick I learned?” asks the magician of his dinner companion.

“Sure,” she says.

“Do you have two quarters?”

She smiles and reaches into her bag and brings out two quarters which the magician takes in his left palm.

“I don’t understand how this works but if you sort of – well – compress the quarters – well – look – it becomes a half dollar.”

He gives the half dollar to his companion.

2 “Okay – now give the half dollar back to me and I’ll change it back” the magician says.

She smiles and gives the coin back to the magician.

The magician holds the half dollar in his right fingertips and tosses it into his hand where instead of the half dollar is – is – now a transparent coin – and a lump of metal that looks like it was once a coin.

“What the h-----?” says the magician. I don’t understand----“ His hands are empty.

“Let me see that.” Says his companion, laughing.



Preparation and Comment

In this presentation I may do only the change of the quarters to the half – unless –
and it almost always happens – the spectator asks me to change it back.

That pause gives me the time to do what I have to.

(Note – this is meant to be presented as here, in an informal setting. A magician
being paid to perform can’t pause like this.)

The gimmick – the transparent coin and lump of metal can be purchased from most
dealers. The effect is called Silver Extraction.

The gimmick is on my chair between my legs, the metal on the transparent coin.

A half dollar is Classic Palmed in my right hand.

Method

1 The change of the quarters to the half is done using the standard sleeving move but lapping the quarters instead of sleeving them. (Surprisingly they won’t make any noise as they fall into your lap.)

2 If I’m going to go further – and there is, as I said, a pause between the two parts – I use my left hand to take the quarters from my lap and put them on the chair seat while with my right hand I finger palm the transparent coin OVER the lump of metal.

I take the half dollar in my right fingertips and perform the Bobo Switch as follows:

* I toss the metal and transparent coin to my left hand, with the right hand holding onto the half dollar as per the normal Bobo switch.

* My left hand raises as my right hand comes to rest on the table lapping the half dollar.

* My left hand tosses the metal and transparent coin to my right hand as that hand moves in from the edge of the table.

Note – I explained the sleeving lap on this thread above December 1, 2015.

Gerald Deutsch
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » May 1st, 2016, 7:13 am

Only The Mates

Effect

1 I just learned a new trick,“ says the magician. “Here, take a card.”

2 The spectator takes a card which is looked at, shown to all and then shuffled back into the deck. Assume it is the 2H.

3 “Watch,” says the magician, “I’ll make your card turn face up in the deck. What was your card?” The spectator says it was the 2H. The magician gestures over the deck and spreads the deck but in the center face up is not the 2H but the other three 2’s – the 2C, 2D and 2S.

4 “What the h---?” says the magician confused as he reaches in his pocket and pulls out the 2H, shaking his head. “I hate when that happens.”

Background

This idea came to me from an Ed Marlo idea that appears in the Marlo issue of the
Phoenix #137 which is called “Not Quite Sure”. The plot and effect is different. In
the Marlo effect the selected cards and the mates all turn face up with the magician
saying “I was not quite sure which one it was so I got all of them.” (See Matched
Spellout discussion on this thread above July 2, 2009.)

Preparation

The 2H on top of the deck. The 2D, 2C, 2D face up on the bottom.

Method

(The numbers below correspond to the numbers under Effect)

1 I bring the top card – the 2H to the center by lifting the right side of the top half of the deck and pulling it away with my left thumb on the top of the deck so that the 2H falls onto the lower portion.

The pulled away top half is then put back onto the lower half (which now has the 2H on top of that lower portion) and a break is kept.

The 2H is forced using the Classic Force.

(Here’s a situation where I’m not afraid to use the Classic Force. I seldom miss but if I should I can do another effect. This is not the case with all effects where if you miss you’re in trouble and a sure-fire force must be used.)

2 A Hindu Shuffle is done and after a few packets have been dropped the left hand is extended for the selected card to be placed on top. Then the packet in the right hand is dropped on that.

The selected card is buried – but it is under the three face up 2’s

3 The three 2’s are dealt on the table and the deck is assemble so that the selected card – the 2H is on top. It is then palmed in the right hand.

4 When I pull an object from my pocket that I had palmed I pull out other objects from my pocket first. This was an idea from Fred Braue.

“I hate when that happens!” Good patter for Perverse Magic. See this thread above December 1, 2006

(Note: Of course instead of the Classic Force one of the two Hindu Shuffle Forces
could be used here but I prefer to use those forces only where the Classic Force
can’t be used because a miss would be “fatal” as another effect couldn’t be done at
that time in the routine. As noted that is not the case here. If one of the two Hindu
Shuffle Forces is to be used then the card to be forced would be on the bottom
below the face up mates.)

Gerald Deutsch
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » June 1st, 2016, 8:38 am

JO ANNE – THE CARD DUCK

Background

When I was in high school I worked part time at Holden’s Magic Shop under Ande Furlong and my pay was $5 worth of tricks a day. So over one holiday I worked 3 days and took home Jo Anne, the card duck.

When the Jo Anne starts to act “independently” (as card ducks will) it creates Perverse Magic.

Effect

1 Two cards are selected and shuffled back into the deck and Jo Anne is introduced as the assistant who will find the card.

The deck is placed in Jo Anne’s feed box.

2 The magician says that at the count of 3 Jo Anne will find the first card. He counts “1, 2—“ and Jo Anne goes into action and bites the magician’s finger who carelessly left it on the feed box.

3 The magician is angry and that gets Jo Anne angry and she refuses to work. The magician feeds her to pacify her. It works.

Jo Anne finds the first selected card

4 For the second selected card Jo Anne is blindfolded and she finds the second selected card.

5 The magician has another card selected but the duck doesn’t want to do anymore and so she’s fired.

The magician comments that you can’t get good help today and he says he will do it himself.

He holds the deck in both hands and brings his mouth to the deck and comes up with the selected card in his mouth – but – a piece of the card – the part that was in his mouth is missing.

The magician is surprised when he sees that and then makes a face as he puts his hand over his stomach.

Preparation
A duplicate card, say the 4C is prepared by tearing a half circle (as if a bite was taken out of it) from one long side. That card is second from the bottom and the original 4C is on the bottom.

Method

The numbers below correspond with the numbers under Effect:

1 A Hindu Shuffle is done and each of 2 spectators is told to say “stop and then
when they do are offered the top card of the left hand packet. Free choices.

The cards are replaced and a Hindu Shuffle brings them to the top BUT the two cards on the bottom are to be kept in place so that when the Hindu Shuffle is started for the replacements the first move is to have a packet from the CENTER pulled out by the right thumb and fingers.

2 The magician just absentmindedly leaves his finger on the feed box and Jo Anne moves at the count of 2 and the magician yells. Good acting.

3 To “feed” Jo Anne I pretend to take food from my left pocket with my left hand and Jo Anne “nibbles” it.

4 No Comment

5 I got this idea from Meir Yedid.

The bottom card is forced using the Hindu Shuffle Force. (It’s different from the way the cards were selected in 1 above but similar enough so that the spectators won’t see the difference.)

The forced card is lost in the deck. The duplicate with the torn part is now on the bottom.

The deck is placed in your mouth, back of the deck to the audience. The thumbs push the bottom card up where it is grabbed by your teeth as the deck is pulled away.

You proudly show the selected card, then notice the missing piece and then grab your stomach.

This, like some other effects on this thread is meant mostly for youngsters (but old enough to know the different cards) and Perverse Magic is something youngsters love.

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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » July 1st, 2016, 7:23 am

CARDS AND PAPER SLIPS

This was taught to me by Bob McAllister. I believe it’s from Dean Dill and Allan Ackerman from “Las Vegas Kardma”. It was done with dollar bills but I’m using 4 slips of paper with the number 7 on each.

Effect

1 “I just learned a new trick which I really don’t understand at all. It’s done with a deck of cards on the table and these four slips of paper with the number 7 on each.”

2 The magician deals some cards and drops a slip on the dealt cards and then the rest of the deck on the slip of paper.

3 He picks up the pack as is and hands it to a spectator telling her to do the same thing – that is deal the cards, stop where she wants, drop a slip of paper on the dealt cards and then drop the deck on top.

She does.

4 The magician picks up the pack and gives it to another spectator with the same instructions.

5 This is repeated with a third spectator.

6 The magician lifts all the cards touching each of the four slips and shows the face of the four packets and each is a 7

“I wish this could be done with aces!” he says. But they don’t allow that and I don’t understand why.”

Method

The numbers below correspond with the numbers above:

1 The sevens are set up as follows – 1, 6,7, 52 that is, top, sixth card down, seventh card down, bottom of the deck.

2 Deal five cards, drop a slip on the dealt cards and then drop the deck on the slip.

3 no comment needed

4 Pick up entire deck EXCEPT bottom card. Then pick up bottom card and put it on top.

5,6 No comment

Good Perverse magic –

Of course it could be presented as “TA DA- Look – we found the aces! By shaking
your head and having to accept you can’t get the four aces but only the four sevens
you`re getting credit for skill without having to say “look how good I am”. That’s a
main characteristic of Perverse Magic.

This falls into the sixth category –the performer doesn’t understand why what
happens happens.

Gerald Deutsch
Posts: 442
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Glen Head New York

Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » August 1st, 2016, 7:06 am

CARDS AND PAPER SLIPS – ANOTHER WAY

Last month I posted Cards And Paper Slips and this is another way of handling the spectator’s dealing and the revelation of the 4 (in my effect) 7s.

At a “magic meeting” in the summer of 2014, Danny Miller did an effect but was not sure where he learned it. Others at the meeting including Ben Cohen, Jack Diamond, and Bob Lusthaus made changes and I made changes as well as shown below. The effect was done with dollar bills and not slips of paper.

(I was told that the effect originated with Oscar Weigle and it appears as “The Weigle Aces” in “Scarne On Card Tricks” though that effect is without bills an somewhat resembles “Poker Players Picnic” in “Royal Road To Card Magic”.)

Effect

1 “I just learned a new trick which I really don’t understand at all. It’s done with a deck of cards on the table and these four slips of paper with the number 7 on each.”

2 The magician shuffles the deck.

3 He hands it to a spectator telling her to do deal 4 cards in a row. She does. He then tells her to deal one card on the first card dealt, one on the second and so forth and to stop whenever she wants.

She does.

4 The magician puts one of the slips of paper on the card she stopped at and picks up the pile to the left – or right of the pile with the stopped card and drops that pile on the slip (and the card stopped at from the other pile).

5 The woman is asked to keep dealing from pile to pile (there are now only three piles) and to again stop wherever she wants. Step 4 is repeated and there are now only 2 piles.

6 Step 5 is repeated. There is now only the one pile and the spectator is holding the balance of the deck.

7 The spectator is asked to deal the cards she is holding one at a time next to the pile on the table and to stop where she wants and when she does the magician again drops the last slip on the stopped card and then drops the pile with the three bill protruding on top making one pile.

8 The magician lifts all the cards touching each of the four bills and shows the face of the four packets and each is a 7.

“I wish this could be done with aces!”he says. “But they don’t allow that and I don’t understand why.”


Method

The numbers below correspond with the numbers above:

1 The sevens are on top of the deck – unknown to the spectators.

2 A false shuffle, of course.

3 no comment needed

4 Of course the 7 at the bottom of the packet goes over the slip.

5,6,
7,8 Of course as each packet is dropped on a slip a seven is dropped on the slip.

This eliminates the “move” required in step 4 of last month’s write-up.

Gerald Deutsch
Posts: 442
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Glen Head New York

Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » September 1st, 2016, 7:37 am

Perverse Aces Are Good; Jacks Are Better

I loved Harry Lorayne’s “Aces Are Good; Jacks Are Better” from his book Jaw Droppers. I made some changes to make it a Perverse Magic effect.

Effect:

1 A card is selected – say the 4 of Hearts, signed by the spectator, and shuffled back into the deck and the magician says he will find the card by spelling “MAGIC”. He does and on the last card of the spell he turns up a Jack. The spectator says it’s not her card. The magician knows he made a mistake because there is no signature on the card and he is confused.

2 “I know what I did wrong. I should have spelled JACK. Here, you do it.”

He hands the deck to the spectator and tells her to deal one card onto the table as she spells J-A-C-K. and when she’s done she turns over the second Jack. The spectator says that’s not her card either. The magician is more confused. No signature. He picks up the deck.

3 “Okay – okay – it must be one of the other two Jacks. Wait, I’ll get it.”

He tosses the deck from his right hand to his left and two cards stay in his right hand. “Darn. I got two cards – both Jacks – Okay – which Jack was it? Wait. There’s no signature on either.”

The spectator smiles and says, “It wasn’t a Jack – it was the 4 of Hearts.”

The magician looks confused. “The 4 of Hearts?” He quickly looks through the deck and says “There’s no 4 of Hearts in the deck.” He puts the deck down and then, with his hands clearly empty he reaches first into his left trouser pocket and then his right trouser pocket and comes out with the 4 of Hearts with the spectator’s signature on it.

“I don’t understand this at all.”

Preparation

4 Jacks on top – an indifferent card on the Jacks

Method

The numbers below correspond to the numbers under Effect

1 A card is selected, signed, and placed on the stack and then a jog shuffle keeps all in place.

(I generally don’t like to have a selected card signed because I find it slows things down but here it adds to the magician’s confusion and makes the appearance in his pocket more magical. Harry doesn’t have cards signed because he mostly uses a borrowed deck and he feels he can’t ruin another person’s deck.)

The “spell” of MAGIC is done without reversing the order of the cards.

When the Jack is revealed the top card – the selected card is palmed in the right hand.

2 While the spectator is dealing (this time dealing on the table and reversing the order) the magician puts BOTH hands in his trouser pockets. The misdirection is perfect. When the spectator turns up the second Jack the magician takes both hands out of his pockets leaving the selected card in the right pocket.

(The extra card on top of the Jacks makes the spelling come out correctly.) This leaves the remaining Jacks on top.

3 The top card is cut to the bottom and the deck is tossed from the right hand to the left and the top and bottom cards remain in the right hand.

Note that this version of Harry’s effect involves palming – which I know Harry likes
to avoid whenever possible. Also, the handling is similar to “The Missing Card Was
In My Pocket” which I posted on this thread on July 1, 2011 above.

Gerald Deutsch
Posts: 442
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Glen Head New York

Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » October 1st, 2016, 7:19 am

JINX MATE

On this thread I’ve noted numerous Ambitious or Jinx Card effects (see December 21, 2002, January 2, 2003, November 1, 2006, March 1, 2007, March 1, 2008, ) This effect is meant to be performed AFTER an Ambitious or Jinx Card effect.

I contributed this to Harry Lorayne’s Apocalypse and it appears in the June 1993 issue on page 2224.

Effect

1 The magician had performed several effects for his pleased audience, one of them having been an effect where the 5D kept perversely appearing unexpectedly. Now he’s going to do another effect.

“Name your favorite card,” he says to a woman. Let’s say she names the QC.

2 The magician looks through the deck and pulls out the QC and hands it to the woman.

3 The magician turns the deck face up and begins to shuffle it and tells the woman to put her card, the QC in wherever she likes but face down. She does.

4 The magician tells the group that the woman has just placed her card next to its mate – which, being that her card is the QC, the mate would be the QS.

5 The magician spreads the deck face down until he comes to the face up QC and removes it, together with the face down card below it in his right hand. “See? Your QC has found the QS.”

But when he lifts his hand to show the face down card it’s not the QS but the “Jinx Card” – the 5D!

6 The magician gives the QC to the woman and puts the 5D in his breast pocket so the back is seen by all.

7 “Let’s try again,” says the magician.”Just stick the QC face up anywhere.” She does and the magician cuts the deck.

8 The magician spreads the deck and removes the face up QC and the face down card below it but when he shows that card it’s – it’s the 5D!

Confused, the magician pulls out the card that was in his pocket and in full view all this time and it’s, to the total bewilderment of the magician – and of course the audience – the QS!
Method

The numbers below correspond to the numbers above.

1 To begin the “jinx card” – here the 5D – is on top of the deck.

2 When looking for the named card – here the QC - you first cut the mate, the QS, to the top, over the 5D.

Then you have to change the position of the top two cards so that the 5D is on top and the QS second from the top. This is done by doing an overhand shuffle but running the first two cards and then putting them on top, followed by a quick jog shuffle keeping the deck in order.

3 A face up Hindu Shuffle.

4,5 No comment needed.

6 A very deceptive switch is done here. Actually it’s a top change but made very easy because there is a reason here for the hands coming together. (This is similar to the Bilis switch and also very similar to a switch by Eric Mason in his trick “Misery” that appears in the August 1979 issue of Apocalypse).

What it appears you’re doing is taking the face up QC from your right hand to your left on top of the deck and then giving it to the spectator so that it’s not necessary, as it is in the top change, to cover the fact that the hands come together.

Anyway, after seeing that the card found is the 5D the two cards in the right hand approach the deck, the left hand pushes the top card, the QS to the right and it is taken in the right hand as the right hand leaves the face up QC and the 5D on top.

The top face up QS is pushed off for the spectator to take.

The face down card in the right hand – the QS – which the spectators think is the 5D is put in the breast pocket sticking out in full view as you say you’ll “get rid of this”.

7 Another face up Hindu Shuffle.

8 No comment needed – except this requires good acting to show your confusion.

A very entertaining Perverse Magic effect.


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