The Left Handed Force

[John Pezzullo]

Patrick Page's "The Left Handed Force", published in the March 2002 issue of "Genii" ended with the following request:

"Now wasn't that good? If you think so, write and tell the guy who publishes this magazine. It's the only way he has of knowing whether anyone reads it or not."

Mr. Editor.....yes, it was good! So was Patrick Page's contribution to the March 1999 issue of "Genii", "The Pa Pa System", an excellent article outlining his work with the Si Stebbins stack.

I hope I don't have to wait until the March 2005 issue of "Genii" to read another contribution by Patrick Page.

[Curtis Kam]

Soundly seconded. This was one of the very few times I was actually able to read the routine (using the cut-out coin)that afternoon, and fried people with it table-to-table that night.

Sheer genius, and commercial, too. When you can get a teenage boy to open his hand and say "Man, that's just wrong!" you know you're doing something right.

Props to Mr. Page.

[Jon Racherbaumer]

This is EXACTLY the kind of finesse or approach that is worthy of two "thumbs up" and a "shout to high heaven," proving that Pat Page has performed for millions of lay persons and understands the psychology necessary to puzzle and entertain. In the old days, this kind of classified info--this bit of critical detail--was called Real Work.

I immediately applied Pat's approach to effects requiring two selections and one of them must be forced. I now have ONE spectator select both cards--one is selected with his right hand; the other, with his left.

It works like a charm.

Thanks, Pat, for sharing.

Onward...

[John Pezzullo]

I immediately applied Pat's approach to effects requiring two selections and one of them must be forced. I now have ONE spectator select both cards - one is selected with his right hand; the other, with his left.

A thought...for the 'magicomedian'...if you need to have three cards selected by one spectator - right hand, left hand, mouth. This approach isn't suitable for all audiences.

[Bill Mullins]

Hasn't Simon Lovell made reference, somewhere, to making a spec. use his foot or something to select a forced card?

Bill

[Jeff Haas]

Bill, I think you're referring to a routine in Simon's first book -- the one where you keep trying to get a spectator to take any other card than the one you keep forcing on him.

It makes sense when you read Simon's write-up, and it's funny too.

Jeff

[Guest]

For the record Simon's routine is "Ambitious Everywhere and Nowhere." I e-mailed him back in February about this when the article first came out. The following is the reply I recieved from Simon:

Pat does force to the spectator's left hand as do I. I suspect this is just a case of great minds thinking alike! Pat is older than me
so there is a fair chance that he thought of it first though!

Best regards,
Rich Kameda