Perverse Magic

All beginners in magic should address their questions here.
Guest

Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Guest » June 1st, 2007, 2:47 pm

You are giving us GOLDEN NUGGETS for free !

(a rare thing indeed,in every field)

May I print some of your routines for my own private study ?

Thanks,whatever is you reply,

Alessandro.

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

Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » July 1st, 2007, 3:08 am

FOLLOW THE LEADER

EFFECT

This is a classic of card magic.

The effect is that there are two piles of cards, one consisting of red cards and the other black cards. A leader card is chosen from each pile.

As the leader cards are switched the cards follow the leader that is, if the red card is put on the black packet the black cards turn red and visa versa.

To present this as Perverse Magic, I note that the cards are an unusual brand and I say that I had read about something that works only with this brand. This is the sixth classification of Perverse Magic the performer explains something that will happen but he doesnt understand why it happens.


COMMENTS

The following routine was worked out by myself and my friend Peter Marshall and
we were honored to have Harry Lorayne publish it in Apocalypse (February 1986).

It is a modern routine as it uses the Jordan Count to show all the cards have
followed when they are really mixed colors.

The use of the pass is avoided by using an idea of George G. Kaplan from his book The Fine Art of Magic.

The conclusion is based on an idea of Dr. Jacob Daley that appears in Phoenix 220 and Bruce Elliotts The Best in Magic.

THE ROUTINE

1 Remove 8 black cards and lay them on the table. Remove 8 red cards and lay them on top of the black cards.

2 Spread the packet of 16 cards and get a break above the fourth card from the bottom.

Square the packet and then separate the hands so that the left hand holds only four cards and the right hand holds the 12 remaining cards (8 red and 4 black) but the audience thinks each hand holds 8 cards.

The cards in the right hand should be held at the short ends at the extreme fingertips so that the thickness of this packet wont show. The cards in the left hand should be held high in the hand to give the greater illusion of depth.

Put the packet of 4 cards on the cards on the right hand and turn the entire packet face down.

3 Deal the top card face down on the table showing it to be black and count one.

Continue to count without showing the faces until you reach 8.

On 9 again show the face (this time red) and again dealing in another pile without showing the faces again counting 8.

4 Pick up the first dealt pile and turn the packet face up revealing a black card.

Push off two cards into the right hand without reversing their order and deal the third card onto the table face up saying, This will be the leader card for this packet.

Push the remaining packet together and put it face up behind the leader.

Repeat all this with the red pile.

5 Turn the two piles face down behind the leader cards.

6 Switch the leader cards (so the red is in front of the black pile and visa versa)

7 Turn the top face down cards face up and drop them on their respective leader cards showing the cards followed the leader.

Deal and turn two more cards face up from each packet and leave them face up on the leader cards.

8 Again switch the leader cards (and the face up cards now on them.)

9 Pick up the face down packet behind the black face up cards (the face up cards are the leader and the cards that have been dealt on it) and turn it face up and do a Jordan Count which shows all the four cards are black.

(The top card is a red card but the Jordan Count will show all four as black. The Jordan Count is described in Volume 2 of Card College on page 314.)

Turn the packet face down, replace it on its original position and deal the top card face up on the leader packet.

Repeat this procedure with the red pile.

10 Again switch the leader cards and again deal the top card showing that the card followed the leader.

11 Again switch the leader cards and again deal the top card showing that the card followed the leader.

12 There is one card left in each pile and to conclude:

A Deal these last two cards face up on the leader piles showing that they followed the leader BUT DONT LET GO OF THE CARDS.

B Turn the cards face down and bring the hands together in a relaxed manner. It looks like the effect is over.

C The card in the left hand is held between the 2nd and 3rd fingers; the card in the right hand is held between the thumb and 1st finger.

D As the hands come together, the left hand card is taken in the right hand between the 2nd and 3rd finger and the right hand card is taken in the left hand between the thumb and 1st finger.

E As the hands separate, the cards have been exchanged in a motion similar to a Top Change.

(The move is done on the offbeat when the hands rest. This is Slydinis principle of what he calls timing. See page 37 of The Best of Slydini and More.)

F The hands separate and the right hand card is now placed on the left hand packet and the left hand card on the right hand packet.

For maximum effect, the hands should be moved separately first the card in the right hand and then, a second later, the card in the left hand.

And so, it is revealed that even when the cards are put in the wrong packet they follow the leader

And the performer doesnt understand why!!!!

Guest

Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Guest » July 5th, 2007, 1:30 pm

Mr. Deutch,
I have devoured this discussion and the effects you have so freely shared with us here on Genii.
I would love to see you perform. I have a feeling I would just sit in total amazement and the utmost appreciation.

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

Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » August 1st, 2007, 3:20 am

Linking Key Rings

Effect

1 Me: I wish we could get rid of this last point and finish our negotiation. I have to get home and practice a new magic trick.

Negotiator: Magic trick?

Me: Yes. Im an amateur magician and I just bought a new magic
trick and I want to go home and practice it. I hope we can finish soon.

Negotiator: Lets see the trick.

2 Me: Well I really should practice. Its a new trick. But I have
these two key rings see?
And if I just press them wow it works! They linked.

Negotiator: Let me see them.

(I give the rings to my opponent. He looks them over and gives them back.)

3 Me: And then if I press them for a second they unlink.

Negotiator: Wow!

4 Me: Let me try again. Lets see - If I put one ring in this hand and
then the other - and and

(I open my hand and theres only one ring.)

Where did the other ring go?

(I look around for the missing key ring and then I see it linked on my wrist watch strap.)

How the heck did this happen? Will you look at this its - its linked to my watch.

Oh I give up! I told you I have to go home and practice.

Negotiator (laughing) Okay - okay, were done. Well do it your way. You win the point. You go home and practice.

Background

I gave the linking and unlinking part of this to Harry Lorayne and it appears in the May 1997 issue of Apocalypse. As its said there, Sol Stones Linking Links from Best of Friends II was my inspiration for this. Also, the Linking Rings is a classic of magic and I wanted a way to do that in an intimate close up setting. Here I use inch key rings rings used to hold house keys. They cost about 25c each.

Ive always liked the Perverse Magic presentation of the Linking Rings where a ring unintentionally gets linked onto the performers button hole. I saw Ed Levy perform this and it appears in George Blakes Comedy Magic and I read that it has been performed that way by Topper Martin.

I played with the idea of having the ring linked to my shirt button hole and decided that it is easier to prepare and just as effective to merely have a ring threaded on my watch near the buckle so that at the end I have to open my watch to remove the ring.

Preparation

Of course I use 5 key rings. One is put on the watchband near the buckle, two are linked and these are on my lap and two are single which I produce to perform the effect.

Then, before I start, I get the linked rings from my lap into my right hand thumb palm position.

Performance

The numbers below correspond with the numbers under Effect:

1 No comment required.

2 The 2 single rings are put onto my left palm and I do the standard sleeving move with the 2 single rings going into my lap instead of my sleeve as the hands come together with the right arm shielding the view . The linked rings are left on the left palm.

I press my hands together and then separate them and pick up one of the linked rings to show they are linked. I then toss the linked rings onto the table where the spectator will surely take them for inspection.

While he is looking at them I get the 2 unlinked rings from my lap into my right finger palm.

3 With the single rings finger palmed in my right hand I take the linked rings between my thumb and first finger and toss them to my left hand. I then take the linked rings again between my right thumb and first finger and perform the Bobo switch as follows:

* I toss the single rings holding onto the linked rings as per the normal Bobo switch.

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

* My left hand tosses the rings to my right hand as it moves in from the edge of the table.

* The hands press together briefly.

The rings are tossed to the table showing they are separated again.

4 I toss one of the single rings into my left hand and perform Slydinis Revolve Vanish.

I pick up the other ring and put it into the top of my left fist. I move my left hand away from the edge of the table (so that when on ring is missing it wont make a spectator think it may have fallen off the table).

I put my right hand and left hands together and press and then look surprised as, when I separate my hands, there is only one ring. Im confused.

Then I spot the ring on my watch and Im really confused as I open my watch to remove the ring.

Like with all Perverse Magic, good acting is essential.

Guest

Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Guest » August 12th, 2007, 5:32 pm

Gerald, from the looks of this thread I think that you have sufficiently answered your own posting. Nevertheless, you have mentioned Slydini and that makes me recall a presentation that you might consider perverse. Slydini's effect where the paper balls are apparently vanished and then his empty hand is extended into a 4 sided box which eventually does contain the vanished paper balls. How about the same effect but the audience sees the balls going into the box but at the end the box is empty. This of course can be accomplished using a method similar to that when performing the Miser's Dream. Just a thought.

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

Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » September 1st, 2007, 4:03 am

Card on Spectators Chair

Some years ago, I was representing a client before an Internal Revenue Agent in connection with a tax examination of the clients tax return. The agent wanted to disallow as a deduction part of the compensation paid to the owner of the corporation. It really was a matter of judgment as to how much of the compensation was reasonable.

The revenue agent and I went to lunch. After we had a drink I told the agent that I was a magician and I had just learned a new trick.

1 I took out a deck of cards and had him select one and put it back in the deck and shuffle the deck and give the deck back to me.

2 I told him I wasnt sure of this so I asked him to tell me what value his card was for example, a 3, a king etc. He told me it was a 7.

3 I removed the four 7s from the deck and showed them to him.

4 I told him I would make his 7 rise to the top of the packet.

5 It wasnt on the top. I looked at the packet. There were only three 7s. His was gone. I was confused. I looked thru the deck. It wasnt there.

6 Did you screw me up? I asked him. Ill bet you took out your card and youre sitting on it. Go on. Show me. He did the card was there. Boy, after taking advantage of me like that when I was going to show you a good trick I think the least you could do is finish the audit the way Im suggesting.

Discussion:

I found that magic has to be done at an appropriate time in a social setting.
Knowing when to do magic is as important as knowing what magic to do. Here,
during a relaxed lunch with someone who can be an adversary magic tends to take
the edge off. But I didnt start magic right away we had started to have our
drinks.

And with this effect you cant wait too long because the spectator may get up to go
to the bathroom and the card will be seen when he comes back.

Of course I had a duplicate card which I loaded as he sat down. This was much
easier for me here than it would have been if the audience knew I was going to do
magic which the agent didnt know at that time.

This effect has been described by others. Chuck Fayne has a booklet called The
Card on the Seat and Johnny Thompson has something on his tape called Youre
the Polish Magician. Im sure there must be others.

As to some details: (The numbers below correspond and refer to the numbers
above.)

1 Of course the duplicate card is classic forced and then shuffled back into the deck and the deck given to the spectator to shuffle.

2 With Perverse Magic Im not the cocky smart-alecky person but someone that really doesnt know that much about magic. Asking for help here fits that character.

3 I position the selected 7 second from the bottom of the packet of the 7s and then turn the packet face up and put the packet on the bottom of the deck.

I do the Biddle Move which removes the selected 7 from the packet and leaves it on top of the deck and the three 7s in my left hand. (The Biddle Move can be found on page 507 of Card College Volume 3)

I then do an Elmsley to show the three face down 7s as four.

The Elmsley Count is usually used to show what appears to be four cards but hiding one and, unknown to the audience, showing one twice. Here it is used to show three cards as four.

And then, after what appears to be four cards are shown, without a sneaky move one vanishes.

4 In Perverse Magic, what you say will happen must not be as strong as what
does happen.

Here, having a card come to the top of a four card packet is not as strong as
having it appear on the spectators chair under him.

5,6 Again, with Perverse Magic, I didnt do it and I dont understand how it happened.

Note I very seldom have cards signed. With Perverse Magic Im not trying to
prove anything. Things happen that I dont understand. It makes it so much
easier using duplicates.

(Yes the agent did it my way and the client was very happy.)

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

Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » October 1st, 2007, 4:02 am

Copper Silver With a Dime and a Penny

Effect

Thats a beautiful bracelet. Do you know what it can do? The woman smiles at the magician and shakes her head. Ill show you. Does anyone have a penny and a dime?

Another spectator finds a penny and a dime and the magician takes them and gives them to a third spectator to hold in her closed fist.

He then asks that spectator to give one coin back to him. She does and lets assume its the dime.

The magician closes his hand over it and then has the woman with the bracelet touch his closed hand and then touch the closed hand of the woman holding the penny and lo and behold the magician now holds the penny and the woman holds the dime.

Comments

1 This presentation is the sixth classification of Perverse Magic the performer explains that something will happen but he doesnt understand why here that the bracelet can - and does something unusual causing a transposition of two coins.

This is more entertaining in my view than an attitude that says Look how great I am!

2 The effect of course is the standard copper silver done with ungimmicked coins borrowed coins rather than what most people hardly ever see a half dollar and that foreign copper coin.

3 The effect comes from Roy Benson in New Phoenix number 327 (and see Roy Benson by Starlight page 273). Also see John Scarnes Stars of Magic, Harry Loraynes The Magic Book page 172. and Johnny Benzais 11c Transpo in Pallbearers page 721.

Method

1 I have an extra dime classic palmed in my right hand.

2 When the spectator shows me the dime and penny I take the dime and toss it from my right hand to my left. I then take the penny and as I toss it to my left hand I perform the Bobo Switch so that my left hand now has two dimes and the penny is secretly in my right hand.

3 I get the penny into the classic palm in my right hand as I give the two coins to the spectator without letter her see them.

4 I close her hand with both hands the right, of course has the penny classic palmed. I then turn her hand palm down so that she wont open her hand.
.
5 The spectator has two coins both dimes - but believes she is holding the dime and the penny. She will not be conscious of the difference in size between the two coins.

6 I ask the spectator to reach into her closed fist with the thumb and forefinger of her other hand and bring out one coin. Whichever she gives me it will, of course, be a dime.

7 I show the dime and again perform the Bobo Switch changing the dime to the penny and as I do I move my left hand forward and my right hand back and classic palm the dime.

I tell the spectator to open her hand and when she does she has the dime.

8 I return the borrowed coins.

Note that in steps 3 and 7, I place the coins (the penny in step 3 and the dime in step
7) into classic palm position. This requires misdirection or else the spectators will
see the motion of the right fingers. The misdirection in both cases is provided by
moving my right hand back as I move my left hand forward in step 3, giving the
coins to the spectator and in stop 7 by moving my left hand forward after
performing the Bobo switch.

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

Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » November 1st, 2007, 4:38 am

The Bizarre Blanks

EFFECT

1 After performing a few card effects, the magician says that hes been to Salem, the witch city, and came back with a tool that lets him determine the name of a selected card.

He reaches into his pocket and produces an eyeglass cleaner and object that looks like a large pair of tweezers with pads on the prongs. He presses the eyeglass cleaner against a womans index finger. The device is put back into his pocket.

2 A card is selected by the woman and shuffled back into the deck and the magician again puts the device against the womans finger and, concentrating, he does correctly tell her the name of the card. The device is put back into his pocket.

3 The magician then explains that the device can also find that same selected card and he fans the deck and moves the device and it clips onto one card.

When the magician turns that card face up, he, and the audience are surprised to see it is a blank card and everyone is even more surprised to see that the entire deck that had been used for tricks before is now blank. I quit! I cant do anything with a blank deck!

EXPLANATION

The numbers below correspond to the numbers above:

1 I use a simple eyeglass cleaner and if the spectators recognize what it is well so much the better.

This effect is performed as the final effect in a series of card effects where the audience has seen a regular deck of cards.

Of course the deck is switched but the switch is done at a time when there is no heat an effect has ended and the audience is not expecting anything.

The deck switch is the one I suggested in this thread on September 1, 2006 in describing Perverse Cassette, one that I saw Daryl do.

The device is the left jacket pocket and the blank deck with a single spot card (one thats easily remembered like, say, the three of hearts) on the bottom is in the right jacket pocket. Both hands (the right hand with the regular deck) go to the pockets, the right hand leaving the regular deck and grasping the blank deck and the left hand getting the device. THE LEFT HAND COMES OUT FIRST.

As the magician talks about the device the deck is forgotten.

The device is put back into the magicians pocket (to get the audience used to the magician going to his pocket to get it). But it goes into his RIGHT pocket.

2 Of course the bottom card is forced. While I do the classic force all the time its POSSIBLE to miss no matter how skilled one is with this and here you cant afford a miss so I use a Riffle Force or a variation of the Rich Block force. Very basically, the bottom card is cut to the center with a break held below it and the deck is riffled and the spectator asked to call stop and when she does all the cards above the break are lifted so she sees the forced card.

The card is secretly brought to the top.

3 The first part of the effect is over. The magician palms the card in his right hand and goes to his right pocket leaving the card and getting the device.

There is no heat here the audience doesnt expect a second climax.

Let me now mention something that I find is a bit controversial multiple endings. Derek Dingle was famous for this. I find, however, that if one ending is strong, another climax may tend to dilute the first. In this effect the second climax the change of the deck to all blanks is what makes the effect. Ive had a discussion with several magicians about a second climax to Harry Loraynes Mated (Close Up Magic page 175) and I felt it wasnt necessary as Mated (spectators inserts two cards into deck and those two cards find their mates.) is so strong alone.

This is the 2nd category of Perverse Magic the performer says one thing will
happen (here, finding the selected card) and something else does (the deck becomes
all blank). As I mentioned above on this thread, in this category, what does happen
must be stronger than what the performer says will happen.

The use of something here the eyeglass cleaner also brings the first part of the effect into the 6th category of Perverse Magic something happens but the performer doesnt understand why.

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

Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » December 1st, 2007, 4:16 am

PERVERSE WATCH STEAL

It may seem strange to speak of a watch steal as Perverse Magic when Perverse Magic tends to take away the show off characteristic of the performer. But I do the watch steal as Perverse Magic and the approach was suggested by Francis Carlyle in his contribution to Stars of Magic.

Like Carlyle suggests, I tell the spectator that if she can guess which hand a coin she his holding is in, I will give her a prize and when she does guess correctly I look puzzled that she could feel the coin and I reluctantly give her the prize her watch.

Some comments:

1 I say she because I always use a woman for this.

Slydini taught me the necessity of being able to know when to use a man or a woman as an assistant. For one thing, Slydini would never use a woman where she might feel embarrassed in a situation where a man could better take a joke. Note that in his famous Paper Balls over the Head, Slydini always used a male assistant.

With Perverse Magic the spectator is not embarrassed its me, the performer that is confused.

2 I do a series of coin tricks in the womans hand so that she can get comfortable with my touching her and then I end with the watch steal.

3 I always use a watch with a strap, never an expansion band.

(At the end of this posting I note Slydinis watch steal using an expansion band.)

4 Let me explain how I do the watch steal:

* Assume the woman I choose has a strap watch on her left wrist.

* I ask her to hold out both hands.

* I place a coin (that Ive been using in other preceding effects) in her left hand and I place my right hand over her watch.

* I tell her that I can sort of hypnotize her so that she wont be able to tell which hand the coin is in.

* I use my right middle finger to pull the strap back towards me causing it to buckle up. Then I use my first finger against the buckle to cause the strap to come out of the loop on the watch strap.

* I tell the woman that Im going to have her move the coin from hand to hand.

* My left hand takes her left hand from below and I grasp the watch strap, now freed of the loop, between my right thumb and first finger and I swing her left hand in an arc to her right hand telling her to put the coin in that hand,

I pull on the strap which frees it from the portion of the buckle that goes through the hole in the strap.

My right middle finger then pushes down on the freed portion of the buckle so that it doesnt re-engage.

* I squeeze her wrist with my left hand so that, when the watch is taken away it will feel as if it was still there.

* After the coin is put into the right hand I take her right hand with my right hand and have her swing the coin back to her left hand and then, again swing it back to her right hand.

* I close both my hands into fists (taking her watch with me in my left hand) and tell her to close her hands tight.

* I put both of my hands in my pockets and say to the audience that my spectator is hypnotized and she cant tell which hand she has the coin in and to her I say as I take both hands out of my pockets (leaving the watch) that if she can guess correctly Ill give her a prize.

* She guesses correctly and Im surprised and shake my head and say that I guess I have to give her a prize and I reach into my right pocket and give her the watch, puzzled that she was able to tell which hand the coin was in..

5 One final point. Ive seen a professional magician do the watch steal in front of a large group but he holds onto the watch for a long period of time until the end of his act. I disagree with this. The spectator my leave, or she may want to check the time or she otherwise note that her watch is gone.

And if the spectator knows it is gone before its returned it could be a big problem.

As Im trying to show, many standard effects can be presented as Perverse Magic.


Back in 1983 I was having dinner with Slydini and we were discussing the above routine and he described his routine with an expansion band as follows:

1 A spectator with an expansion band watch is given a coin to hold in his hand that wears the watch and he is asked to make a tight fist.

2 The performer drapes a handkerchief over the fist.

3 The performer reaches under the handkerchief with both hands, grasping the fist and he allows the fingers of both hands to slide between the band and the spectators wrist.

(NOTE at this point the performer should see if the band is too tight. It would be more than embarrassing if the band is tight and is stretched and breaks.)

4 The performer removes his hands taking the watch and the handkerchief and asks the spectator to check the coin.

5 The performer again covers the spectators hand with the handkerchief (keeping the watch which he leaves in his pocket as he puts BOTH hands in his pockets as he speaks t the spectator) and he tells the spectator that in five seconds the coin will vanish. He asks the spectator to check What time is it?

Having the spectator make a fist facilitates the removal of the watch. Slydini pointed
out that there is ample misdirection in the pressure on the spectators fist from the
performers hand and concentration on the coin to make the steal.

Here too, Perverse Magic can be used and the magician can be surprised when the
watch is gone and more surprised when it is in his pocket.

But I still fear breaking the band.

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

Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » January 1st, 2008, 4:16 am

Perverse Impromptu Rising Card

Effect

Here, show my aunt a trick, said his girlfriend as she hands him a deck of cards.

Okay, he said, Take out a card and Ill try to find out what it is.

His girlfriends aunt takes a card and the magician shuffles it back into the deck and hold the deck with the bottom card facing the spectator.

This wasnt your card was it? he asks the aunt and she tells him it wasnt.

Okay. Just keep looking at this card. Lets see, I think your card was---keep looking at this card the KH.

No it wasnt, she says.

Keep looking at this card, the magician says, confused. What was your card?

The 4D, she says.

I dont understand this, says the magician.

And then, as the aunt keeps looking at the deck she and his girlfriend see the 4D rise up from the center of the deck. And they all know that the deck doesnt belong to the magician!

The magician looks very confused as he puts down the deck and shrugs.

Discussion

The Plunger method has always been my favorite method of doing the rising card because (i) it can be done with a borrowed deck, (ii) there are no gimmicks and (iii) the card rises from the center of the deck.

The principle of the plunger is that if two cards are jogged with a card between them, the card between them will rise as the two jogged cards are pushed flushed with the deck.

But I never liked showing the protruding cards to the spectators . Some write-ups have suggested using and handkerchief to cover the jogged cards but that didnt fit my style.

(See Hugards Magic Monthly page January 1949, Encyclopedia of Card Tricks page 328, Greater Magic page 400, Expert Card Technique page 211.)

My Handling


1 Have card selected and while spectator is looking at card begin to overhand
shuffle.

2 Extend left hand packet and have card replaced on top.

3 Continue overhand shuffle as follows:

* Run one card on top of selection

* Injog next and continue shuffle

* Right thumb pushes upward on injogged card separating the deck so
that right hand packet has selected card 2nd from top

4 Continue shuffle as follows:

* Injog first card- (large injog)

* Run next card (selection)

* Injog next card (large injog)

* Continue shuffle

5 Hold deck with left fingertips on long sides - thumb on opposite side
and left index finger on top (short side).

Right thumb below left thumb right fingers under left fingers (so that
right hand blocks spectators from seeing injogged cards).

6 Left index finger pushes on top edge causing it to bevel (so
spectators can see edge and will see card come from center)

7 Dont press deck too tightly because you dont want the selected card to pull
out other cards with it.

Move left hand down so that pinky goes under injogged cards

8 Left pinky pushes injogged cards causing selected card between them
to rise.

9 Right hand gives the deck with the selected card protruding from the middle
to the spectator.

As presented, this falls into the second category of Perverse Magic. The performer says one thing will happen the magician determining the selected card and something else does the selected card rises from the deck.

Guest

Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Guest » January 1st, 2008, 6:57 am

Thanks for that, Gerald.

I've occasionally performed a Rising Card (using the Two-Hand Plunger method), over the past forty years.

And now, at long last, I have a nice presentation for it that suits my persona.

Dave

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

Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » February 1st, 2008, 3:35 am

Perverse Production

The production of an unusual object can be a good Perverse Magic effect (A production is listed as one of the 17 fundamental effects in magic in Dariel Fitzkee The Trick Brain) but the item produced must be greater than what was expected.

There are several productions that could be used here but in this one the performer says he will produce two golf balls from under a handkerchief that he shows to be empty. He produces one and then, instead of the second one an apple appears and the performer is confused and shrugs, takes a bite, and goes on to something else.

The production of the first golf ball is easy. It is classic palmed in the right hand which holds one corner of the handkerchief while the left hand holds another corner. The handkerchief is shaken to show it is empty and then placed over the right hand (and the ball) and then he makes a magical gesture and shows the ball.

The production of the apple is based on an idea of Clettis Musson in his pamphlet Minute Magic called Potato Production (but I like an apple better.)

Before starting, the apple is placed under the left armpit. Again the handkerchief is held by two corners and the handkerchief is shown on one side and then the other side of the handkerchief is shown by crossing the arms and hands. When the hands are crossed the right hand comes under the left armpit and by releasing the apple it will fall into the right hand. The hands are uncrossed again and the handkerchief is again put on the right hand (and the apple) and this time, instead of the second golf ball, the performer is surprised to see the apple.

This can be done as the opening effect of a show or impromptu at a friends house.

Gerald Deutsch
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » March 1st, 2008, 3:59 am

A Study in Frustration Again

Background

Back on this thread, in January 2003, I described my version of Norman Houghtons A Study in Frustration that he published in the November 1948 issue of Hugards Magic Monthly. My Perverse Magic climax there used a double back deck.

In August of 2001, in the Close Up Magic section of this Forum, I suggested the repeated forcing of a card and becoming exasperated when that card kept being selected and then finally having a different card taken but that old Jinx Card kept coming up. (The idea of a Jinx card as Perverse Magic came to me from a Clayton Rawson (Merlini) column in the July 1950 issue of Hugards Magic Monthly) Finally, I remove the Jinx Card from the deck only to find that the deck vanished.

Ive since preferred to use the take out any 51 cards and give me the rest of the deck approach rather than repeatedly forcing a card.

This is a platform effect for small audiences.

Effect

1 The magician tells the audience that theyre in for a treat. They have probably seen magicians find a selected card or maybe two selected cards but never this. He gives the deck to spectator and says, Take out any 51 cards and give me the rest of the deck. The spectator smiles, realizes whats going on and gives the magician back one card.

The magician explains that the spectator should remember his selected cards but he doesnt have to remember the card he didnt select the (say) 4C.

The magician shuffles the unselected card in with all the selected cards and says hes going to find all the selected cards.

2 The magician cuts the deck and says hes going to cut to the KH. But, to his surprise, its the 4C. The 4C is shuffled back into the deck.

3 The magician says he will get the 9D fifth card down. He counts down but alas, its the 4C.

4 The magician names the JH and spells it but again on the last letter its the 4C.

5 The magician is getting frustrated. He takes out a handkerchief and puts the deck underneath. He says he will find the 2H but again he gets the 4C.

6 He has an idea. He wont put the 4C back into the deck. Now it cant screw him up. He leaves the 4C on the table and reaches under the handkerchief to get the JH but but the deck has vanished.

The magician gives up in frustration.

Explanation

The numbers below correspond to the numbers above:

1 The 4C (or whatever card is not chosen0 is controlled to the top.

2 A double cut.

3 A jog shuffle brings the 4C to the fifth position.

4 A jog shuffle brings the 4C to the spell position for the JH (or whatever I try to use cards that contrast with the 4C)

(Also it may be easier to overhand shuffle with the deck face up and just run cards from the right to the left hand spelling out the JH (or whatever) and then tolling the run cards in the left hand onto the top of the right hand packet.

5,6 The deck vanish used is described on page 679 of Volume 3 of Card College.

Basically, with your right side facing the audience and the handkerchief in your right jacket pocket, the deck is held in your left hand, the 4C on the bottom with a break above.

As the right hand reaches for the handkerchief, the left hand dumps the deck (except for the 4C) into the left jacket pocket.

When the 4C is removed the left hand keeps its position under the handkerchief and then the right hand goes under to get the named card only to find the deck is gone.

Note one of the principles I have discovered with Perverse Magic is that what happens
Must be stronger than what you say will happen. Its for this reason that I name the cards
to be produced rather than letting spectators name the cards.

Gerald Deutsch
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » April 1st, 2008, 7:02 am

The Swizzle Stick

Effect

It was their first date the first time they had met actually and they were having a drink before lunch. They had met on the internet and this was an easy way to get acquainted.

So how do you learn to do magic? she asked, since he had told her that magic was one of his interests.

Well, when you learn a new trick you have to practice a lot or things can go wrong.

Well show me something, she said with a smile.

Okay, he said taking the swizzle stick from his drink and laying it on the table in front of himself. Heres one I just learned. Ill make this swizzle stick disappear.

He covers the stick with his hands and says Abracadabra and removes his hand but instead of the stick having vanished, it is now only one inch long.

Damn! I knew I should have practiced more!

He smiles as she giggles. Lets order lunch.

Background

I attended a great lecture given by Joshua Jay (actually, I enjoyed seeing Josh so much I went a second time) and after the lecture I purchased his book Sessions The Magic of Joel Givens.

Its a great book. Its written sort of like a novel with Joel and Josh having a meal and discussing magic. One of the very first effects is Sweet Straw which concludes with the shrinking straw but done a different way than what I am doing. And, of course, my presentation is as Perverse Magic.

Method

I rarely like to do preparation but here all I do is take a swizzle stick as I go to wash up and break off a piece about an inch long.

If I see Im going to perform the effect, I get this piece in thumb palm position in my right hand.

I place the swizzle stick in front of me parallel to the table edge and cover it with both hands with my left hand on the outside and my right hand inside. I then use my right third finger to kick the swizzle stick into my lap as I press down with both hands. (I got the move from Rick Johnssons Practical Impossibilities.

When I see the swizzle stick didnt vanish but shrunk Im surprised and apologetic that I didnt practice enough. A good example of the second classification of Perverse Magic the performer says one thing will happen but something else does.

Gerald Deutsch
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » May 1st, 2008, 6:44 am

Perverse Magic Its All About Presentation

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 dont understand. Instead of Ta da!

That doesnt mean that every effect has to be presented that way it can be enough that something happens that surprises the magician. An example would be Roy Bensons beautiful billiard ball routine.

Benson would be performing his beautiful routine producing two inch white billiard balls when all of a sudden, to the surprise of Benson, a red ball appeared. Benson is confused and looks in a book to try t understand. For that moment he is not the great magician but, like the rest of the audience, is amazed and puzzled by what happened without his doing it. I think that this one bit of business more than anything made me appreciate the genius of Roy Benson and the beauty of Perverse Magic.

In this thread Ive been giving of what I call the six classifications of Perverse Magic. In many cases Ive presented some effects that some of you may not have been familiar with but in some cases I show how some well known effects or even some classics can be presented as Perverse Magic. What follows below is that presentation for a classic Do As I Do.

(As youll see, Ive noted some of my thoughts about the handling of this fine effect.)

Gerald Deutsch
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » May 1st, 2008, 6:48 am

Quadruple Coincidence

Effect

Its 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, Ill 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. Its important that both of us shuffle both decks. The original decks are again returned to the man and the woman.

2 I read that its also important that we do everything as much alike as possible. Now I think youre 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 dont show it to me and remember it. Ill 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 others decks and when we see the card we looked at we just pull it half way up out of the deck but we dont 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 lets 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 dont believe this! he says. Im 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 doesnt 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.

Ive 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 womans 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 Two things are done here:

* The magician spreads the deck with the cards facing him and pulls up one card (any card) not removing it from the deck so that the woman will do the same when the decks are exchanged.

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

4 When the magician gets the spectators 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 spectators 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.

Gerald Deutsch
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » June 1st, 2008, 6:19 am

Credit Card Transposition

We were having lunch, my client, the president of a company my client wanted to buy, his attorney and myself. I was trying to convince the president and his attorney to accept a structure that would yield great tax benefits to my client and not hurt the presidents company.

Lunch was over and the president was going to pay. He took out his American Express card.

I told him that I just learned a trick and I wanted to try it and asked to see his card.

1 He gave it to me and I looked at it and gave it back and told him to put his
hand on it.

2 I told him I was going to make it vanish. I snapped my fingers and told him to lift his hand. The card was still there. I shook my head. It didnt work.

3 Wait I minute, I said, looking confused, Is that your credit card? The president looked at it. I looked at it. We all looked at it. It was my credit card.

4 Confused, I reached into my pocket for my wallet and reaching in (letting
everyone see my hands were empty) I pulled out the presidents credit card. I really dont understand this! I said as we exchanged credit cards.

The mood was light they trusted me I was not arrogant. They accepted my tax
structure.

Details:

1 Ive been the recipient of many credit card offers that come in the mail with facsimile credit cards that is they look like real credit cards but they are cardboard.

I keep these in my wallet.

If I want to perform this effect I note the credit card my host uses (sometimes the other fellow doesnt treat sometimes we share and we give 2 credit cards and ask the waiter to put half on each) and if I have a facsimile card to match I get that out of my wallet and palm it in my right hand. (If not, I use my own credit card if I have one that matches the spectators as I did in the scenario above.)

I take his credit card in my left hand and switch it for the facsimile (or my credit card as above) using the move I explained to switch a deck in They Dont Mix on this Perverse Magic thread above in January 2006. That is, as my left and right hands approach each other, the card (his) on my left hand is lapped as my right hand deposits my card on my left hand and my left fingers grip it on the long ends as my right fingers on the short ends move to the right and then take the card visibly and put it in front of the spectator. Its my card (or a facsimile of theirs) that goes under his hand. His card is on my lap.

2 On my lap also is my wallet.

I explained getting a borrowed credit card to my wallet in the December 1989 issue of Apocalypse on page 1720. I explained there that my friend Johnny Benzais gave me the idea from his Card in Wallet (See The Best of Benzais page 52).

It was my friend Ken Krenzel that gave me the idea of having one of my credit cards in my wallet (not one on the end) extended a bit to serve as sort of a guide for the spectators credit card so that the inserted card will go in the middle of the other cards. See Cards In A Sealed Envelope The Card Magic Of LePaul.

Anyway, the credit card in my lap is put next to the extended credit card and both are pushed flush into the wallet. As I said, his card, therefore, goes in the middle of the other credit cards I have in my wallet.

3 Its either my card or the facsimile thats under his hand.

4 My right hand drops to my lap, I start to get up, My right hand, with my wallet moves along my body to my back and then, as if it went into my pocket, comes out with the wallet.

Im confused as I pull out my credit cards (making sure they all see my hand is empty) and SLOWLY go through them until - and now Im puzzled - I find his card and I cant understand how it got there.

I give him back his card, take my card (or the facsimile) and explain that I dont
think I read the trick right.

Real Perverse Magic!

Evan Shuster
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Contact:

Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Evan Shuster » June 1st, 2008, 6:06 pm

Thanks Gerald! This (along with Hideo Kato's "Today's Findings," at the Cafe) continues to be one of my favorite threads on this, or any other forum.

Gerald Deutsch
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » July 1st, 2008, 6:29 am

I Just Bought A New Card Trick

Effect

I just bought a new card trick. Its so complicated. I dont really understand it. Here, select a card.

The spectator selects a card.

Okay, heres a pen. Put a big X on the face of the card but dont let me see it. Good. Now put the card back into the deck. Now Im going to shuffle the deck as fairly as I can. Okay. Now Im going to find your card.

The magician looks through the cards with the faces towards him and pulls out the selected card with the big X.

The spectators look at him as if he was an idiot.

This is easy to understand, says the magician. But why they had all the cards marked with an X doesnt make any sense to me.

The magician shows all the cards have an X

Comments

1 This is a bit like Unsigned Card Trick posted on this thread above on September 28, 2005.

2 The effect starts serious then it looks like a gag and finally the spectators are fooled.

3 The presentation, however, is in the format of Perverse Magic .

Instead of the magician putting one over on the spectators he too doesnt understand how it happened.

4 Of course all the cards except one have the X and that one card is forced.

5 And one more point. You want to be sure that the X that the spectator puts on his card matches the X on the other cards. Therefore, the X you put on the 51 cards should go from the top of the card to the diagonal opposite bottom and when you tell the spectator to put an X on the card, you tell him to make it go from one end to the other end.

Gerald Deutsch
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » August 1st, 2008, 5:37 am

Slydini Kills Time or, as Vinnie Sabatino suggested calling it Smashing Good Time

Effect

Why dont we take a break from our discussion, said the CPA to the Tax Agent, and go out to lunch. Good idea, said the agent.

I hear you do magic, said the agent to the CPA over lunch. Yes, said the CPA, As I matter of fact, I just learned a new trick. Could you take off your watch and then buckle it as if it was on your wrist.. He does and the CPA asks for the watch.

Im going to make this watch pass right through this solid table, says the CPA as he smashes the watch on the table to the sound of metal pieces under his hand. Damn! says the CPA, I should have practiced this first. He lifts his hand and to his and the agents surprise, under his hand is NOT the broken watch but the CPAs keys.

Puzzled, the CPA starts to look in his pockets and finally in his inside coat pocket he discovers the agents watch which he returns.

The agent laughs and later the discussion of the open tax issue is addressed and the audit is concluded to the satisfaction of all.

Discussion

1 The secret is simple:

* The keys are thumb palmed in the right hand.

* The watch is taken on the palm of the left hand.

* The right hand takes the watch between the fingers and the heel of the hand and swings in a U from the left hand to a spot to your right but as the hand reaches the lowermost point of the U, the hand (and the watch) is over your lap and you let the watch fall. It is the keys that smash on the table.

* The recovery of the watch is done in a way using my body as taught by Slydini:

** I lean to my right as my left hand goes to my left pocket looking for the watch which lets my right hand drop naturally to my lap (and onto the watch).

** Not finding the watch in my left pocket, my right hand now with the watch produces it from my inside left jacket pocket (if Im wearing a jacket) or I stand as my right hand with the watch goes into my right trouser pocket.

(As Ive mentioned before, I think it was a Fred Braue idea that when my right hand with the watch goes into my pocket, I leave the watch and remove something else that was in the pocket and THEN go back and remove the watch.

2 This effect was written up on the cover of the third issue of Apocalypse in March of 1978 by Harry Lorayne and Richard Kaufman (with illustrations by Richard Kaufman) and, as noted, I did bring this idea to Slydini as I explained to him that it was a Martin Gardiner idea that I liked. Slydini helped develop this method for me.

(Ive studied with Slydini for many years but I resisted doing magic like him because our personalities were so different but I was impressed by the principles he developed and used (Timing Misdirection) and I tried to adopt those principles (and still do) to my own style..

3 As presented here it is Perverse Magic I say the watch will go through the table but instead (a) it changes to my keys and (b)to my surprise, it appears in my pocket.

4 I did this at a dinner at a magic convention in Hartford for someone I didnt know and I had to QUICKLY show the keys because I thought that when he heard the smash he was going to punch me.

5 Be careful when doing this. The usual reaction is My watch! but once the spectator yelled, MY DESK!

Gerald Deutsch
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » September 1st, 2008, 5:51 am

Sleightly Perverse

Effect

1 A card is selected and cut back into the deck. (Say 4H)

2 The magician says he knows how to cut to the selected card and cuts the deck and then puts the top card (without showing it) face down on table.

3 He says hes learned how to prove what the card was. He cuts the deck into two halves and drops each half on the table and the top card of each pile turns face up and shows JH and 4C.

The magician says these two cards tell him the card was the JC Jack from the JH and Clubs from the 4C.

He turns over the card and shows the JC and replaces the card on the table face down.

4 The spectator says thats wrong its the 4H.

5 The magician says, Oh darn! I laid out the cards wrong! I really should have practiced this. He switches the position of the JH and 4C Yeah it should be 4H.

6 He turns up the face down card and now its the 4H. He shakes his head not understanding.

Background

On Saturday May 3, 2008, Michael Feldman, one of the magicians that meet at Caf Rustico in New York City on Saturdays, having returned from Fechters, showed us an effect that he saw Ray Kosby do there.

I loved the effect and thought it could be presented as Perverse Magic.

I asked Michael more about the effect and he told me that it came from Sleightly Touched which appears on page 42 of For Your Entertainment Pleasure by Daryl.

I made some changes in the handling and the presentation to fit my style as noted below.




Set Up

On top of deck 4H JC 4C JH

(Note of course any cards cold be used but Im using the above for proper contrast.)

Routine (Numbers correspond to numbers above)

1 Force 4H

I use a Riffle Force and show the card in place so that the card isnt removed
from the deck and then toss the cards in my right hand onto the cards in my left creating a natural jog. (Or what Robert Giobbi calls The Drop Jog see Card College Volume 3 page 540.)

I break at the job and cut the 4H to the top and then to the bottom.

(I use the Classic Force quite often but here, since the free selection is not such an important feature of the effect, and to save time, I use the Riffle Force.)

2 Deal top card (JC) face down on table saying it is selected card but don't show the card.

3 Perform Harry Lorayne's "Quinella" from Phoenix 219 page 874 December 29, 1950 but as follows:

* Hold deck in dealing position and with right hand lift up right side of deck

* Left thumb holds top card (4C) as right hand pulls out top half of deck so
it falls on lower portion.

* Replace top portion "momentarily"(keeping halves separate) and left
thumb pushes top card (JH) to right.

* Drop top portion to table - JH will turn face up

* Left thumb pushes top card (4C) to right. Drop this packet and 4C will
turn face up.

* Pick up the deck and hold it face up in the left hand being careful not to
show 4H on bottom.

* While the right hand moves the face up cards into place the left hand
pushes the 4H to the right and get a break under it.

* Pick up the JC and put it face up on the 4H.

* Hold JC and 4H between right thumb in rear and right second finger
in front as left thumb goes under deck and turns it face down.

* Put face up card(s) on top of face down deck.

* Turn card(s) face down and deal top (4H but they think JC) face
down on table.

4,5, No comments required.

6 He shakes his head not understanding.

Its not a TaDa display of the 4H but you look confused. This is Perverse Magic!


Again, another example of the sixth category of Perverse Magic Something goes wrong and the magician does something meaningless (changing the position of the two cards) and whats supposed to happens but the magician doesnt understand why.

Gerald Deutsch
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » October 1st, 2008, 6:44 am

Perverse Cozy Card

Background

In the September 2008 Issue of Genii (with Steve Cohen on the cover), there is a
Marlo Section and one effect there is Cozy Card To Case.

The effect is that the spectator is handed the Ace to Seven of Diamonds and he shuffles them and puts one into the deck and then is asked to look over the 7 cards to see which is missing and find that in the deck and initial it. The spectator cant find that card and the performer makes a gesture towards the card box and there it is.

As Perverse Magic

I had two thoughts about this:

1 Rather than having the card found in the card box, I thought it would be tronger if the spectator was sitting on the card.

My thought to do this was to put the card box way in front of the spectator as he deals and ducks so that he has to bend forward, allowing you to place the card on his seat.

(If this is not possible then you can put the card on YOUR seat. Its not as strong but I think its stronger than in the card bax.)

2 I think it takes too much time at least it does for me to have the spectator look through the deck for the missing card.

What I would do would be to say that youre going to make his card turn face down in the face up deck. Then look through the 6 cards he has to see which it is.

Okay watch the Six of Diamonds will turn face down. Your spread the deck face up and no card is face down.

Then YOU not the spectator QUICKLY spread the cards and declare that the card isnt there.

Darn! I hate when that happens. Youre probably sitting on it!

The spectator looks and finds his card. If he later wants to check the deck for a duplicate he can but it wont take up your time and slow up your performance.
Note For more about Card On Spectators Chair see this thread above September 1, 2007.

Gerald Deutsch
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » October 1st, 2008, 6:48 am

20 to one

This has been one of my favorite "walk around" effects for many years.

It is in Greater Magic (page 777) by Wm H. McCaffrey as "The Five Dollar Bill Trick" and appears in the September 1947 issue of Hugard's Magic Monthly in the Fred Braue column. (Because of inflation use a $20 bill instead of a $5)

The effect is to borrow a $20 bill and crumple it and put it in the lender's hand telling him to squeeze the bill and it will vanish. He does - it doesn't. You are surprised and you say "Darn, it didn't work." And start to walk away. The lender opens the bill and finds it now a $1. You hear, "Hey!!"

Now you're confused. You take the $1 bill, shake your head and put it into your wallet and out of your wallet you take a wrinkled $20 bill (as if it had been crumpled and then opened) and return it as you say, "I hate when that happens."

Discussion

* Having a wrinkled $20 bill in your wallet always has the lender ask "How did you get it there?" Of course it's not the borrowed bill which is still crumpled and in my right trouser pocket (and I don't claim it is) which is unfolded and put into my wallet for the next presentation.

* The switch I use is simple:

** I have a crumpled $1 bill classic palmed in my right hand.

** I borrow the $20 bill and crumple it which is easy with the $1 classic palmed.

** I leave the crumpled $20 on my open left hand and let the crumpled $1 drop to right finger palm.

** My right hand goes over my left and rubs the bill(s) and then lets the right palm come over the crumpled $20 and classic palms it as the finger tips of both hands tighten the crumpled $1, The fingers of the right hand (the crumpled $20 classic palmed in that hand) then put the crumpled bill (the $1 that the spectators think is a $20) in the spectator's hand.

** While the spectator is squeezing the bill both of my hands go into my trouser pockets and the crumpled $20 is left in the right trouser pocket.

Good perverse magic - with that ending "I hate when that happens."

I just want to say something about the $100 Bill Switch and/or The Mismade Bill (where the bill is folded and when unfolded is mismade). Please understand that this is MY opinion only many great magicians even some that only do magic professionally dont agree with me but I strongly believe that when the bill is changed (to a bill of another denomination or to the mismade bill) it shouldnt be changed back.

If one is doing the effect as Perverse Magic then the performer should borrow a $20 or $10 bill and tell the audience that it will change to a $100 bill and then, to the surprise of the upset magician all see that its not a $100 bill but a $5 bill (or the mismade bill). The magician shakes his head and takes back the produced bill and reaches into his wallet and pulls out a $20 or $10 which he gives back shaking his head. Thats great Perverse Magic.

(If its not to be presented as Perverse Magic then perhaps a borrowed $10 can be changed into two $5 bills. I just think that changing the bill back is, I believe, anticlimatical.)

Gerald Deutsch
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » November 1st, 2008, 7:11 am

Hey Is That A --------Computer?

Effect

Want to see my new computer? she asked him.

Sure, he said. Wow you got a ------- computer. Do you know what they can do?
Do you have a deck of cards?

She smiles and gives him a deck.

Look, he says, Just touch a card. She does. Dont look at it but keep your hand
on it. Good. Now put your other hand on the top of the monitor. Good.

He moves t the keyboard and types something and on the screen appears a card.

He tells her to look at the card under her hand and and it matches the card on
the screen.

The only problem is that it can only be done once on any computer.

Explanation

Joshua Jay has written a wonderful book called Magic The Complete Course which is extremely well done, well organized and with appropriate contents and photos and credits to many magicians. This is my presentation for one of the effects
(which Joshua says he and Joel Givens came up with) called whatisyourcard.com

The website above (whatisyourcard.com) will show the 4H which of course is forced. (Thats why I say that it can only be done once on any computer.

Joshua says that not much presentation is required but I present it as the sixth category of Perverse Magic (See this thread above December 1, 2005)

Gerald Deutsch
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » November 1st, 2008, 7:12 am

Perverse Card Through Handkerchief

Some years ago I was chatting with Peter and Cynthia White the dealers that sell card handkerchiefs and I came up with something that I thought the Whites might suggest to their customers.

Effect

The effect is simple. A card is selected and shuffled back into the deck and then the deck is wrapped in a handkerchief. The magician explains that the selected card will penetrate the handkerchief as it is shaken with the deck inside. Sure enough, one card does pass through but when that card is turned over it has a blank face. The magician, surprised, looks at the handkerchief and it now has the face of the selected card printed on it. The magician is very confused.

Required

The effect requires (i) a deck of cards, (ii) a blank face card with a back that matches the deck, (iii) a card silk with a picture of a blank card (say the four of spades), (iv) a matching blank card silk.

The four of spades card silk is in the left trouser pocket near the top corner, the blank card silk is on the table. The deck of cards is set with the blank faced card on the bottom and the four of spades is on the top.

Performance

To perform force the four of spades and have it shuffled back into the deck. Since it will no longer be used it can be lost in the deck and only the blank face card must be controlled and kept on the bottom.

I dont think it appropriate to go into the classic effect of the Card through the Handkerchief here as it appears in so many standard books including Tarbell 3 but I will mention briefly what I do.

I palm the blank card from the bottom of the deck in my right hand (so that the blank face is against my palm) and then I throw the handkerchief over my right hand (and the palmed card and the deck). I then remove the deck from under the handkerchief (leaving the palmed card) and then put the deck on the handkerchief. (So that the handkerchief is between the deck and the palmed card.) The handkerchief is then wrapped around the deck as explained in Tarbell and if the handkerchief is gently shaken the blank card, with its back to the audience will seem to penetrate since it is on the outside.

The blank card is then put face down on the table as you say something like One card comes through and then unwrap the deck and put the handkerchief in the left trouser pocket, pushing it to the bottom and release it and take hold of the printed handkerchief pulling it a bit out of the pocket while the right hand tries to fan the deck. Suddenly the left hand (now holding the printed handkerchief quickly comes up to help hold the deck as it is fanned as you say something like, And none of these came through the handkerchief. (Im suggesting using a black card for the card handkerchief to avoid a flash of red that might otherwise happen.)

Turn over the card on the table and show confusion when it is blank. Then notice the handkerchief and open it and show the card handkerchief and really look confused.

(Note that Don Tanner has a version of this in The New Phoenix issue 354 February 1961.)

opie
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby opie » November 1st, 2008, 12:07 pm

Anonymous wrote:Gerald,

The Tootsie Roll idea is a good one, but Ron Bauer beat you to it. His Tootsie! was published in the August 1981 issue of The New Tops (Vol. 21, No. 8). The best part about the routine is the fact that you have THE TOOTSIE TOUCH, a power kids have DREAMED about... You can get Tootsie Rolls whenever you want!

Your trick does differ from Ron Bauers, but I thought you might be interested to know that someone else has used the Tootsie Roll idea (and to good effect!). Also, Tootsie! ends with the Magical Person transforming all his candy (way too much for one person) into a nutritious glass of milk.



Actually, Don Lawton acknowledged credit for first use of a Tootsie Roll a la Miser's Dream to Opie Houston (Boy Wonder??). It appeared in LINES FROM LAWTON, circa 1954 or 55, and a routine of sorts was first published by Abbotts in Opie's MAGICIAL RAMBLINGS OF AN IDLE MIND, 1965. I believe that publication was then published with several other small booklets by Abbotts in the 80s....But it is no big deal.....

opie

Gerald Deutsch
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » December 1st, 2008, 6:50 am

Coin In Roll

Ive noted this before in this thread as an ending to a routine (see Perverse Olives June 2006) and, of course, I learned this from the climax of Dai Vernons Free and Unlimited Coinage of Silver in the Dai Vernon Book of Magic.

(Its unfortunate that this was exposed on one of the Worlds Greatest Magic TV shows.)

Anyway, what I do at an appropriate occasion when we are sitting down for dinner (either with a new person or with a group) is to look around and say something like Wow, this is a classy place. Ive heard about this place and what they do here. Look and with that I pick up a roll from the bread basket and cleanly break it open and show a quarter inside. I pocket the quarter and break the roll in half and take a bite of one half putting the other back in my bread plate.

Just some quick notes:

1 If I feel Im going to do this I take a roll out of the bread basket and bring it to my lap. I do this when no ones attention is on me and no one expects me to be doing anything so even if they see me taking the roll its no big deal.

2 I push a quarter through the bottom of the roll.

3 I return to roll to the bread basket. What I may have to do here is, as I drop the roll I pick up another and take that to my bread plate. Again, nothing suspicious.

4 I wait until the opportune time (just making sure no one takes my loaded roll).

5 At the end, I break the roll in half destroying any evidence.

This is another example of the 6th classification of Perverse Magic the performer
Explains something but doesnt really understand why its so.

Gerald Deutsch
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » December 1st, 2008, 6:51 am

The Changing Penny

Effect

1 Hold out your hand. Ill show you something with this penny. The magician puts a penny in a womans hand and snaps his finger. He tells her to open her hand and instead of a penny its now a dime. The woman and her friends are impressed.

2 Now watch. Ill make the dime into a quarter. He puts the dime back into the womans hand and again snaps his finger but this time when she opens her hand, instead of a quarter, the dime has changed back to a penny. How did that happen? asks the magician.

3 Let me try it with you, the magician says to another woman watching. He puts the penny in her hand, snaps his fingers and this time theres nothing. The penny has vanished. I quit! he says in frustration.

Some points.

The numbers below correspond to the numbers above.

1 and 2 Of course the Bobo switch is done and I use the classic palm for the changed coin so that I can move my hands freely which gives the impression that my hands are empty.

When I make the switch I:

* move my left hand (with the changed coin) to the left

* drop my right hand with the original coin to my side as I classic palm the coin.

* I put the coin thats in my left hand into the womans hand and I use the fingers of BOTH hands to close her fingers (so she cant see the coin in her hand).

After the dime changes back to the penny I put BOTH hands in my
pockets and get rid of the dime.

The woman wont know the difference between the feel of the penny
or the dime in her hand.

3 I classic palm the penny and pretend to put it in my left hand and then I pretend to put the penny into the womans hand and again I use the fingers of BOTH hands to close her hand.

(She may or may not know she is not holding a coin but everyone else will think she is.)

Steps 2 and 3 are Perverse Magic theyre not what the magician expects to happen
And, as often happens with Perverse Magic, he winds up frustrated.

Gerald Deutsch
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » January 1st, 2009, 7:41 am

Classic Palm, Finger Palm, Rear right Pocket

I have previously discussed how the Classic Palm is my favorite for coins (See this thread above Coins From Her Palm April 1, 2007) The Kaps Subtlety (see the David Roth section of Coinmagic page 46) allows a hand that has a coin that is Classic Palmed to appear empty.

(Of course a hand with a coin Finger Palmed can appear empty by showing the palm and having the curled fingers cover the coin the Ramsey Subtlety - but with the Classic Palm the fingers and thumb can grasp an object or a spectators hand etc.)

Recently I developed what is called a Trigger Finger which makes it difficult to Classic Palm a coin that been switched for another (Bobo Switch) and which lies on my right fingertips and so Ive had to use Finger Palm.

I found that I want to get rid of a coin in this position and so what Ive been doing is (i) moving my closed left hand forward, (ii) bending my body forward, (iii) letting my right hand which has been relaxed and is hanging down to fall behind my back and (iv) bending my right arm at my elbow and dropping the coin into my right rear pocket.

I then bring our my EMPTY right hand and wave it over my left hand, showing the right hand to be empty which it is.

I expect that I will get rid of my Trigger Finger soon.

(Of course this cant be done if Im wearing a jacket.)

Gerald Deutsch
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » January 1st, 2009, 7:42 am

Perverse Magician vs Gambler

I think everyone is familiar with what Harry Lorayne calls Magician vs. Gambler which appears in his The Classic Collection Volume 1. (Harry Lorayne has published sensational magic.)

The effect, as Harry presents it, is that a gambler and magician get involved in a bet that the magician can cut to four of a kind and the gambler gets worried after the magician cuts the third king but gets his confidence back when the fourth card is not a king but an ace. But the magician explains hes not a magician for nothing and the three cards previously shown as kings are now the other three aces. The kings are then found in four of the magicians pockets.

With Perverse Magic the presentation is, of course, different.

I do this as my attempt to cut to four of a kind and when the third card is shown its not an ace as in the classic version but a four. I look in my pocket for instructions and then, following the instructions, I touch the three face down cards (which had been kings) with the four and they all change to fours. I then look for kings and am surprised that they are not in the deck and even more surprised when each are in three different pockets and the last is protruding from my left sock as I pull up my pants.

I dont think its necessary for me to explain this as most people know the routine or if they dont they can get Harrys book but I want to make some notes:

1 I use the fours not the aces. Im not trying to show how good I am when Im doing Perverse magic.

2 Before the four is revealed there is a break under the two kings on top of the
deck. I ask a spectator to turn over what I say is the fourth king and as she does I palm the two kings. Good misdirection.

3 When the four is revealed I go into my right hand trouser pocket (with the two palmed kings) and pull out a sheet of paper (the instructions) and leave the kings. I then read the instructions and, as instructed I tap the three cards with the four and, not understanding how, they change to the other three fours. I scratch my head in confusion.

4 You have to be careful when the spectator shows the four (which is expected to be a king. The audience will think you missed and that the effect is over and you will lose their attention. You have to say something to keep their attention something like Wait a minute! Let me check this! and then go for the instructions.

5 Im confused when they change to all fours and then I look through the deck and say, Where are the kings? I put the deck down on the table so my hands are clearly empty and I start searching for the kings. The first is produced from my right trouser pocket (leaving one there) the second from my left trouser pocket (where it was there from the beginning) I then look for the third in my rear right pocket but its not there nor is it in my left rear pocket so I reach into my left trouser pocket, not there and then my right trouser pocket as I press my hand against the card there and slide my hand out of the pocket and slide it (and the king) to my right rear pocket.

6 I then pretend to feel something on my left foot and I lift my pants leg and there is the fourth king sticking out of my sock.

Let me say something about the card protruding from my stock.

Many of you are familiar with Rick Johnsonns Too Perfect theory. An
interpretation of this theory is not to lead people to the actual method of how an effect was performed but leave other alternatives available. So, if I had the card for example, in my shoe no one will believe that it was my skill that got it there as is the case where the card is protruding from my sock.


I dont have the attitude that look there it is! Not in Perverse Magic. Its
there but I have no idea how.

Note that in this routine I doing the magic straight until the very end when
something goes wrong and then it becomes Perverse Magic. Its not
necessary that Perverse Magic happen constantly.

So I leave the last king sticking out of my sock. Let them think that
maybe I palmed the card to my sock under their noses.


While Perverse Magic does not usually have the magician showing off his skill as he is puzzled and confused, there is nothing wrong with letting the audience see that skill is involved. Think of Cardini, confused as the fans of cards kept appearing.

That doesnt mean that I wont do an effect with a selected card in my shoe. I do such an effect and I will explain it in this thread in the future but in that effect the showing of skill is not the main part of the effect as it is here.

(Its important to understand how to interpret the Too Perfect Theory.)

As you can see, so many great effects in magic can be presented as Perverse
Magic rather than having the magician saying Look how great I am!

flynn
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby flynn » January 6th, 2009, 8:37 pm

Thanks for the Perverse Card Thru Hankey. Reading it I came up with an idea using my regular red bandana "snot rag" type that I carry around at all times with a deck of cards. I thought of taking a thin black marker that wont bleed much and drawing a black force card onto an extra hankey. I'm always asked to repeat that trick now I know a good follow up trick. I use to follow up with Cy Endfield's "Card Penetration Change" which by judging from reactions wasn't as gasping as card thru hankey.

Gerald Deutsch
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » February 1st, 2009, 7:23 am

Perverse Magic and Sucker Tricks

In defining the categories of Perverse Magic (see this thread above December 2005 under David Roths Legendary Four Coin Trick) I note that the fourth category is Performer is caught he admits it then he and the audience are surprised.

This category would also include sucker tricks where the magician explains how it was done only to be surprised with the audience that theyve all the magician too - has been suckered

Sucker tricks are well known. They include the Breakaway Wand and Fan, the Die Box, the Torn and Restored Napkin, the Light-Heavy Box, the Silk to Egg, etc, etc. What Ive always hated about all of these is that they can embarrass a spectator in front of friends. I say something about sucker tricks above on this thread in describing my routine for The Worlds Fastest Card Trick (September 1, 2004):

let me say something about sucker tricks

When I met my wife, Linda, she did not like magic and the reason was that when she was a little girl, she was called up to assist a magician and he made of fool out of her with his breakaway wand and fan, blaming her and embarrassing her in front of the laughing audience.

Perverse magic lets the magician be the brunt of the sucker situation. The wand and fan break is against the magician not the spectator.

Having the magician the brunt of the sucker gag can be used effectively in many of the above effects. For example, in the Silk To Egg effect, after showing the hollow egg shell the magician can explain that he is holding it over a dish because he has to act as if it was a real egg to further the illusion but unlike a real egg, he doesnt have to worry about it breaking and making a mess--- and then he squeezes the egg and to his amazement and the audiences it has somehow become a real egg.

Gerald Deutsch
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » February 1st, 2009, 7:23 am

Perverse Salt Shaker

Effect

During lunch the magician picks up the salt shaker and puts it in front of him and says, Watch. By squeezing this salt shaker I can reduce the amount of salt in the shaker.

He puts his hands around the shaker but when he takes his hands away the top of the shaker is there but thats all no shaker.

What the------?

Notes

This is similar to my vanishing ash tray (See Sweet Disappearance Harry Loraynes Apocalypse May 1990 page 1783).

1 Secretly secure the top of a pepper shaker (which will match the top of the salt shaker) thats on the table.

Secretly hold it in the right thumb palm position.

2 I then perform a move from Rick Johnssons Practical Impossibilities.

A I cover the salt shaker with both hands, the right hand inside and
the left hand over the right hand.

B The right third (ring) finger kicks the salt shaker so that it falls into my lap.

3 I remove my hands and there, instead of the salt shaker with less salt, there is not the shaker but only the top.

Good Perverse Magic what happens (the vanish of the salt shaker) is stronger than
what you say will happen (less salt).

Gerald Deutsch
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » March 1st, 2009, 6:12 am

Perverse Magic or Practical Joke

Sometimes the performance of Whimsical Perverse Magic (category 5) can seem to be a practical joke and in that case its important to quickly show the audience that magic has taken place.

Some examples of this are:

1 Ryan Perverse Bill Tear (see this thread above October 25, 2003)

I borrow a twenty dollar bill and explain that I just learn a new trick and, as I fold the bill I seem to have forgotten the trick and then, in frustration, I ear up the bill and say Oh forget it. I reach into my pocket and return a $20 bill to the lender.

(As I said, its important to return the bill ASAP to avoid anger in the lender.)

2 Slydini Kills Time. (Smashing Good time)

I worked this out with Slydini when I was his student. It can be found in the March 1978 issue of Apocalypse and in this thread above August 2008.

The effect is the magician borrows a spectators watch and smashes it on the table and when he lifts his hand there is not watch but his keys.. The magician reaches into his pocket and finds the watch.

3 Ring Toss Away

This is Joe Montis idea.

A woman is asked to lend you her ring. You look at it, frown and then throw it against the wall (substituting a coin for the ring) Then you reach into your pocket and find the ring which you return.

(I was doing walk around magic for a charity with several other magicians and I asked for a ring and the woman gave it to me and, as she did, she said that the magician before me just made her ring go on his key chain. I looked surprised, then disappointed as I said, Really? and then, as I said, Well, well do something else I tossed her ring (a nickel) against the wall.

(Before she could get mad, I reached into my pocket and returned the ring.)

4 20 to 1 (See this thread above October 2008)

A explained above, a $20 bill is borrowed and crumpled and given to a spectator to hold and the magician says it will vanish in the spectators hand but instead, the spectator finds, not his $20 but a $1.

(As with the Ryan effect, its important to return money to the lender quickly.)

Practical jokes can fit into Perverse Magic as long as you, the magician and not the spectator is the butt of the joke.

Gerald Deutsch
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » March 1st, 2009, 6:15 am

Perverse Monte

I described this in the Forum back in August of 2001 (Close up Magic Dai Vernon Royal Monte) and in the May 1980 issue of Apocalypse but I now do it as Perverse Magic (the sixth category the performer doesnt understand why what happens does happen)

Effect
The performer shows a fan of five cards, the AS, 10S, JS, QS, and the KS (which of course is the royal flush) with the AS on the face followed by the 10S then the JS, QS, and the KS.
The packet is shown one card at a time to the audience
The packet is turned face up and the AS dealt face up on the table. The 10S shows on the face. The packet is turned face down and the four cards (supposedly the 10, jack, queen and king of spades) are dealt face down. The spectator is asked to see if she remembers and to put an object on the face down card she thinks is the 10.
Whether the spectator does it correctly or not .the magician turns over the four cards and to his surprise and the surprise of the spectators there are no picture cards but all the four cards are tens.
I hate when that happens! says the performer. (See Perverse Patter this thread December 2006).

Method
The performer has a packet of cards from the 10S to the As (which of course is the royal flush) with the AS on the face followed by the 10S then, unknown to the audience, the other 3 10s and then the JS, QS, and the KS.
The packet is shown one card at a time to the audience by lifting one card at a time from the top and then, after showing the 3 picture cards, a buckle count is made showing the 10S (with the other 3 10s hidden) and then the AS.
As the packet is assembled a break is kept under the 3 picture cards and they are lapped.
I use the Slydini gesture what he calls timing - the shoot. I say something and gesture with both hands and then both hands rest on the table and the cards above the break are released.
(See The Best of Slydini and More page 37 or The Magic of Slydini page 22.)
The packet is turned face up and the AS dealt face up on the table. The 10S shows on the face. The packet is turned face down and the four cards (all 10s but what are believed to be the rest of the royal flush) are dealt face down. The spectator is asked to put an object on the face down card he thinks is the 10. (they are all 10s)
While he his doing this the performer palms the 3 lapped cards in his right hand and then with his right hand he moves the deck out of the way depositing the 3 lapped cards.
(When I showed this to Slydini he suggested this clean-up. I studied with Slydini for many years and rather than ask him to teach me his tricks I would discuss tricks that I liked and ask for his suggestions. This was one such suggestion. He was brilliant.)
The performer shows that all the face down cards are 10s - and then gets up
This last part has fooled many magicians who were thinking of lapping.

susanmathew
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby susanmathew » March 4th, 2009, 1:02 am

That simple trick of making magic in cards,,,, without knowing that w will think it is magic but its a simple trick which w play....

Gerald Deutsch
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » April 1st, 2009, 6:58 am

Perverse Coin and Salt Shaker

Effect

1 I borrow a quarter and explain that salt makes it invisible. I sprinkle salt on
the quarter and it becomes invisible (vanishes).

I offer to give back the invisible quarter but the owner doesn't want it.

2 I reach into my pocket and get another quarter to give back but on second
thought I try to make that invisible too but it doesn't work and I sprinkle more salt but nothing comes out and I look puzzled at the shaker in my right hand and - it's gone.

3 I reach into my pockets looking for the salt shaker and find it in my inside
jacket pocket.

4 Looking confused, I put the shaker back on the table and give the spectator the quarter and shake my head, confused.

Background

As Ive said before, much of my magic is done at a dinner table, either socially with friends or at a business meal and a salt shaker is a prop that is always available there.

It is very important here to know just when to do magic (and when not to). In a business session business always comes first but there's usually an opportunity to introduce magic but I believe that it should be impromptu with objects that are available. A salt shaker is one such object.

As a long time student of Slydini, I, of course learned "lapping" (and lapping recovery) and I found that reaching for a salt shaker on my right with my right hand (that has the object to be lapped) is a good way to lap that object. The object is dropped as I move my hand over my lap to get the salt shaker on my right.

Slydini and I had very different personalities and, while there is little magic of his that I do, he did help me develop effects that fit me.

One such effect is "Dice Caper" (see this thread above April 1, 2005) based upon a John Benzais effect (John was a good friend that, tragically, died much too young) in which I show how salt makes a die invisible, pepper makes it visible, pepper on a visible die makes it change color and, if a visible die is sprinkled with both salt and pepper the die shrinks and then grows to become a giant die. (Slydini wanted this routine to appear in his book "The Best of Slydini" but for certain reasons it didn't get into that book. I was, however, honored when Harry Lorayne put Dice Caper on the cover of the March 1983 issue of Apocalypse.)

Anyway, I liked "Sweet and Go" in George Schindler's "Magic with Everyday Objects" and "Sugar and Salt" in Jerry Mentzer's "Close Up Cavalcade Finale" and adopted those ideas to this quick Perverse Magic effect.

The effect is also somewhat similar to Perverse Olives which I posted on this thread on June 1, 2006


The method is as follows: (The numbers below correspond with the numbers in
Effect above.

1 The borrowed quarter is taken in the right hand and put into the left hand and the "retention vanish" is done. (See Roth "Expert Coin Magic" page 7, Bobo, "Modern Coin Magic" page 29 and "Greater Magic" page 666) but as the right hand comes away it goes to get the salt shaker (which is to the performer's right) and as it does it goes in sort of a U, passing over the lap and as it does the coin is lapped. (See "Slydini Kills Time" Apocalypse page 25 and above this thread August 2008.)

Get the shaker with the right hand, sprinkle salt on the left hand and show the coin is invisible. Try to give it back but it probably won't be accepted. (If it is stop - you made a quarter.)

2 Slydini taught me how to recover a lapped object.

The left hand goes to the left jacket pocket as (i) the right hand drops to the lap and (ii) the body leans to the right. The right hand picks up the quarter under cover of the movement of the body.

The left hand doesn't find a quarter so the right hand goes into the right jacket pocket and brings out the quarter that was lapped.

We try again with this quarter and salt is sprinkled on the closed left fist that holds the quarter. As you move the fingers of the left fist the right hand with the salt shaker moves to the edge of the table and as the left hand is opened the salt shaker is let fall out of the right fist (like Han Ping Chien) and into the lap.

Close the left fist over the quarter and pretend to sprinkle more salt form the
right fist but when nothing comes out, look confused, open the right hand to show the shaker gone and really look confused.

3 Repeat the recovery sequence - the left hand looks in the left jacket pocket as the body leans to the right and the right hand drops to the lap to get the shaker. Keep the left hand in the left pocket, looking for the salt shaker, stand up, put the right hand (with the shaker) in the right jacket pocket looking (but keep the shaker in the right hand) then take the left hand out of the left pocket and with it grab the left lapel of your jacket as the right hand with the shaker reaches into the left INNER pocket and brings out the shaker.

Look very confused, give back the quarter, put the shaker back on the table, sit down, shake your head and talk about something else.

chaz99
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby chaz99 » April 1st, 2009, 8:08 pm

Im very impressed with how much credit is given to the originators of certain magic tricks, i believe that the only other group that practices this is the medical community with naming disease/procedures.

Gerald Deutsch
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Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » May 1st, 2009, 6:49 am

Single Tricks

In the trick that follows, The Invisible Card, I note that its hard to do another trick after this.

Often only a single trick should be performed. Now Im not speaking for a professional magician who is hired for a function and expected to devote a specified period of time to earn his fee. Im talking about the hobbyist the person that does magic for fun (or the professional that is not working at the time. Far too often when someone starts to perform magic in that setting the performer doesnt know when to stop.

And then there are times when only a single effect should be done because (i) you just dont feel like doing more at that time or (ii) the one trick you do just happens to fit the then circumstances.

Ill give you an example of each of these:

All Backs

Back on this thread on January 7, 2004, I described an Al Backs Routine which ended with the faces appearing visibly, using the one hand top card palm.

Well, sometimes I just dont feel like doing a lot of magic and someone hands me a deck of cards. Then, I might do the All Backs Routine and, instead of having the faces appear at the end, I would just shake my head in frustration and put the deck down saying I cant do anything with these cards.

(Following the routine noted above, what I would do at the end, rather than palming out the face down card would be to turn the deck so that it is face up with the top card face down. I would lift the edge of that card with my right forefinger and hold the card between my right thumb and forefinger and turn my left hand palm down, turning the deck face down. I would rub the back of the card in my right hand with my left forefinger, put the card on top of the deck and put the deck down.)

Someone, of course, will pick up the deck and see it is a regular deck but that should allow you to just smile and take credit for what you did and not be expected to do more.

Cough Drop To Quarter

When Im to go to a business meeting to be held around a conference table I always TRY (though not always successfully) to sit and the end of the table for two reasons. First, I can see everyone and two, I, being a Slydini student do lapping often and I never know when the opportunity to do something will arise.

Recently I was at such a meeting and I knew few people there and before it started, a woman to my left took out a Halls cough drop packet and took a cough drop. I looked puzzled and I asked if I could see one of those and she, confused, gave me one.

Do you know what can be done with these Halls? I asked. Look. And I pressed my right hand on the cough drop in my left hand and it changed to a quarter which I gave her. I said that I didnt understand why that happened but it was something I read about. I gave her the quarter not understanding. (With this economy you might want to use a nickel.)

Of course I had the quarter classic palmed in my right hand and, as Ive explained above on this thread, I perform the sleeving move but instead of the cough drop going into my sleeve, it goes into my lap, the action covered by my right hand.

I made a few friends doing that and, at that meeting it would not have been proper to do more.

(The sixth category of Perverse Magic See December 1, 2005 the performer explains something that will happen but he doesnt understand why it happens.)

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

Re: Perverse Magic

Postby Gerald Deutsch » May 1st, 2009, 6:50 am

The Invisible Card

Discussion

This is one of my favorite tricks with a borrowed deck and its one that I do most often when handed a deck and there are a few people around. My friend Mark Sitcher, who died much too young, performed an effect for me with an invisible card and that inspired me to work out this routine. I was honored when Harry Lorayne published this in Apocalypse (January 1993 page 2171).

This effect falls into the 5th category of Perverse Magic the magician and the audience are on different plains.

Effect

1 A spectator is asked to name any card. He does. Lets say he names the 4H.

2 The magician slaps the deck and says that hes made the 4H invisible. He runs through the deck and removes the invisible 4H and gives it to the spectator that named it.

3 The magician runs through the deck face up and shows that theres no other 4H in the deck.

4 He turns the deck face down and cuts it and asks the spectator to replace the now invisible 4H on the bottom half. She does and the magician assembles the deck and gives it to the spectator to shuffle.

5 The magician takes the deck back and says he will make the now invisible 4H come to the top. It does still invisible. He puts the invisible card into the center and it again comes to the top again, still invisible.

6 He gives the deck to the spectator retaining the invisible 4H and says he can make it float. Still invisible it does. He says it can penetrate his left pants pocket. He slaps the invisible card on his pants leg and pulls the invisible card out of his left pocket.

7 He repeats this with his right pocket but as he reaches in the magician is troubled. Darn it turned visible! and he pulls out the 4H now visible.

Method

The numbers below correspond with the numbers under Effect

2 As the magician goes through the deck he looks for the named card and when he spots it (i) he inserts his right little finger over THE CARD ABOVE IT, (ii) he separates the deck with the named card the last card in the right hand packet and (iii) he pretends to deal the now invisible card from the top of the left hand packet to the spectator.

The deck is assembled with the right hand packet going on top of the right hand packet (both are still face up) and the break is transferred to the left little finger.

3 You run through the deck face up and the break keeps the top (named card) two cards together so that the named card doesnt show.

4 The deck is turned face down and (i) the top card the named card- is palmed in the right hand, (ii) the top half of the deck is lifted and (iii) the bottom half is extended for the spectator to replace the now invisible card

The deck is given to be shuffled and while that is happening you put BOTH hands in your pockets a natural thing to do while waiting for the deck to be shuffled. The selected card is of course left as BOTH hands come out to take back the now shuffled deck.

5,6,7 Good acting is all thats required.

The only problem is that its hard to do another trick after this. After all a NAMED CARD (not a selected card) winds up in the magicians pocket!!

Good Perverse Magic!


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