Steinmeyer's "Through the Trap Door"!

Discuss the tricks and sleights which appear in Genii.
User avatar
Richard Kaufman
Posts: 27056
Joined: July 18th, 2001, 12:00 pm
Favorite Magician: Theodore DeLand
Location: Washington DC
Contact:

Steinmeyer's "Through the Trap Door"!

Postby Richard Kaufman » October 27th, 2003, 5:30 pm

Folks, we spent a huge amount of time and effort to get the description of Jim Steinmeyer's devious card trick "Through the Trap Door" very clear in the November issue of Genii.
Let's hear from some of you who've tried it out!
I think the first two phases make a perfect lead in to "Card Warp."
What do YOU think?
Subscribe today to Genii Magazine

Guest

Re: Steinmeyer's "Through the Trap Door"!

Postby Guest » October 27th, 2003, 7:00 pm

Haven't tried it yet but must say that Pete's pictures are really great. This was an excellent issue Richard..Many thanks

Best thoughts,
John Smetana

Guest

Re: Steinmeyer's "Through the Trap Door"!

Postby Guest » October 27th, 2003, 9:17 pm

Richard, I have been fooling with it - its' a neat concept. I sort of fiddled around with the first two sequenses and had got no further but your sugestion of card warp sounds interesting,if I think of something real cleaver I'll let you know. I have about 90% of what you have published and I never had any trouble following your explanions , but I've beenlearning tricks from print for 50 years.....Mike

Guest

Re: Steinmeyer's "Through the Trap Door"!

Postby Guest » October 28th, 2003, 8:16 am

There's a lot to be said for good clear drawings like those by Earl Oakes and Richard Kaufman, but Pete Biro could put magic illustrators out of business.

User avatar
Steve Bryant
Posts: 1947
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Favorite Magician: Ballantine
Location: Bloomington IN
Contact:

Re: Steinmeyer's "Through the Trap Door"!

Postby Steve Bryant » October 30th, 2003, 9:30 am

First, I lost track of where this thread went. The Search feature on this forum is cool. I just searched for "trap door" with member number 3 and easily found it.

I finally found the time to work through the routine, and it's a true gem. Very Paul Harris-ish. I like the patter and for that reason would not think of switching into Card Warp. What in the world must Jim have been thinking about to come up with this, and THEN (or was it the other way around) to come up with patter that is such a lovely fit?

Minor comment: At the point where it reads "(That is, reverse it on a vertical axis; the folded edges are still at the top.)," for me, the folded edges were still at the bottom, which made sense.

Guest

Re: Steinmeyer's "Through the Trap Door"!

Postby Guest » November 2nd, 2003, 3:42 pm

I've tried it as I like this type of effect. The write-up was fine and it didn't take me that long to work through it. The only problem I have with it is that you end dirty. All other effects of this type seem to end by destroying the evidence (even card warp). I have yet to come up with a good clean-up for this routine yet..

Guest

Re: Steinmeyer's "Through the Trap Door"!

Postby Guest » November 6th, 2003, 9:12 am

"Through A Trap Door" is great! I have one question: wouldn't the use of contrasting-color cards be more effective? The two red(hearts) cards pictured don't have the effective contrast that, say, a heart and a spade would have. But maybe I'm missing something here -- I'd like to hear from anyone. Thanks!

Andrew Martin Portala
Posts: 324
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Toledo,Ohio
Contact:

Re: Steinmeyer's "Through the Trap Door"!

Postby Andrew Martin Portala » November 11th, 2003, 2:34 am

Here are a few ideas I came up with.

I think this is a good stand-up trick because you don't finish clean.Use jumbo cards,one being a blank card the other a queen.The blank card should have a door in it like a trapdoor not a hole.

Now if you're going to do it close- up you should switch the card.Either making the hole disappear or the torn card restore.

Another idea
How about money?
Sorry I haven't tried this yet but you have a$5 and a$1 say the 5 is inside the 1 dollar bill and you get a money clip and the money clip acts like a paddle.You do the paddle move showing the 1 and then BAM you have the 5 on the outside and the 1 on inside.

How about business cards? Great for trade shows.

Any other idas out there?

Guest

Re: Steinmeyer's "Through the Trap Door"!

Postby Guest » November 15th, 2003, 10:32 am

Rich,
It reads wonderfully; unfortnately I always put off good things 'till later (like saving the icing for the last bite of the cake).
Do wonders why everyone gets so put off about ending "dirty" Hell, as close up workers we should certainly have at least that much audience control--or self confidence (and believe me, in general I have litle--but not THAT little). Has no one ever been left with a palmed coin?


Return to “Magicana”