Out Of This World

Discuss your favorite close-up tricks and methods.
Mike
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Joined: March 31st, 2008, 7:51 pm

Out Of This World

Postby Mike » August 25th, 2001, 7:15 am

Being that OOTW is considered by some to be the most popular effect, what further routines and improvements have been found since the tricks invention?

Pete McCabe
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Location: Simi Valley, CA

Re: Out Of This World

Postby Pete McCabe » August 28th, 2001, 2:50 am

I've been doing OOTW for about 25 years now. The biggest improvement I have made in that time is to eliminate the marker cards. I just give the spectator a deck of cards and ask them to deal it into two random piles.

I do not mention separating the cards by red and black at all. The spectator's (ostensible) goal is to put exactly 26 cards into each packet -- separating the cards is not mentioned.

After the spectator is finished, one packet is counted and if necessary, the spectator is allowed to select a card(s) to be moved to make the piles even. At least two-thirds of the time the spectator has gotten 26 dead on, which seems a little eerie. If they are close they are congratulated, etc.

Then I say the real point of the exercise was to turn off the spectator's conscious mind, to see if their subconscious could do a real miracle. And I begin turning over cards, showing that one pile is all red and the other all black.

I find that this presentation, in which the concept of the red-black separation is only revealed at the last possible second -- during the final turnover -- dramatically increases the strength of the routine.

Guest

Re: Out Of This World

Postby Guest » August 28th, 2001, 7:49 am

Maybe I am in the minority, but I like the leader packets, and I like the change half way through the routine. It breaks up a slightly monotonous process (or what could be monotonous), not to mention, I think it is startling to see that the colors changed at exactly the point where the packets switched.

The one improvement that I think makes the trick an absolute classic is the fact that it can be done with a shuffled deck.

This is definitely one of the strongest routines I have ever encountered and I have received nothing less than a devestatingly memorable routine. I still have friends of mine that remember when I performed it for them more than 8 years ago. (Which is even more impressive if you have met some of my friends !)

Pete McCabe
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Location: Simi Valley, CA

Re: Out Of This World

Postby Pete McCabe » August 29th, 2001, 1:23 pm

Maybe I am in the minority, but I like the leader packets


Mark -- you are not in the minority at all. I have never seen anyone else to OOTW without the leader packets other than myself.

But I recommend it. I find that eliminating the switch halfway through actually makes the spectator's dealing process faster (because you eliminate the time required to stop, put on the leader cards, explain it, etc.).

But whatever works for you. It's a great trick, isn't it?

Guest

Re: Out Of This World

Postby Guest » August 29th, 2001, 4:35 pm

Pete,

It is one of my favorite tricks to perform. Half of the fun is waiting to see the reaction when they get them all correct. I often wonder what must be running through their mind because they are absolutely convinced that I did not manipulate the cards.

Pete McCabe
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Joined: January 18th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Simi Valley, CA

Re: Out Of This World

Postby Pete McCabe » August 29th, 2001, 7:10 pm

While Mark and I are single-handedly keeping this thread alive, I thought I would pass on a technique for doing the final reveal in a "leader card" type presentation. This does away with all sleight of hand and is the most natural handling I've seen.

I worked it out myself about 20-odd years ago and haven't seen it described elsewhere, but I make no claims to originality.

Situaton is this: On your left is the correct pile -- from the bottom up, AS, 13 or so black cards, AH, 13 or so red cards. On your rigth is the wrong pile -- AD, 13 or so blacks, AC, 13 or so reds.

I'm assuming that each pile is kind of a line, with the AS the lowest card, and each card spread enough to show a little bit of the card below it.

Pick up the left pile -- leaving the AS on the table -- squaring it very roughly. Try to leave the cards spread enough that they are somewhat fanned (although this will be in a straight line).

Holding this pile in your left hand, reach under with your right, withdraw the bottom card, turn it face up, and place it on the AS. Repeat with all the blacks until the AD comes out. Turn it face down and continue to show all the reds the same way.

Now pick up the incorrect pile, leaving the AH on the deck. Turn over the entire pile as one, place it on the AH, and spread downward.

All of the cards in the "wrong" pile now look correct. But in hundreds of performances this was never noticed because the turning over of the entire pack uses the same action as the turning over of the individual cards. It also makes sense, having gone through one half the deck card by card, to do all the rest at once.

I've read many ways to do this final reveal, but none that I've read can match this one. It's completely deceptive, entirely natural looking, dead easy with no manipulation, and has a built-in dramatic punch of revealing the last half deck at once.

Try it.

Guest

Re: Out Of This World

Postby Guest » August 29th, 2001, 11:59 pm

I think the best variation I've found is Todd Theman's rendition, called Outta My House. I have made some small modifications to suit me, but for the most part, do it as I learned it. I think the best thing about it is it requires no set-up, and is stream lined a bit. One of my favorite effects to do for laymen..

Guest

Re: Out Of This World

Postby Guest » August 30th, 2001, 4:24 am

Out of this World? Try "Galaxy", the Paul Harris/Wyman Jones "fix". Straight forward, economical, and wholly satifying. Read it, practice, and do it several hundred times.
You'll find, as I have, that it flows. The impact of the effect is different than the standard "OOTW". Instead of Taking the audience to a place of wonder and amazement, you're Bringing it (into their world). The effect is the same, but the resonace of wonder is much different.

Concerning the marker cards and the usual displacements; I was at a party where someone (a non-magician) was doing the standard effect, and everything was the same up until the packets were turned over. They had the spectator turn over the correct half to show a perfect match (minus the marker cards which were in front of the packets), and at the same time they turned over the unmatched halves, boldly displacing them so it appeared that they matched as well.
clever.

Guest

Re: Out Of This World

Postby Guest » August 30th, 2001, 8:52 am

I've always got the spectator to turn over the "correct" pile.

Not only fractionally stronger, but also gives misdirection for your turnover of the "wrong" pile.

I always ensure that if the two piles aren't equidistant from me, the one near me is the "wrong" one. Thus, if he's sitting sideways on to me, I don't have to lean across him to pick up the "wrong" pile, which could look a bit suspect.

Guest

Re: Out Of This World

Postby Guest » August 30th, 2001, 11:07 am

I do Paul Harris's 'Galaxy' these days if i'm in the mood to use a stack. I always stress that I want them to deal the full deck as quickly as they can. I tell them not to concentrate but to let me lead them with my superfast mind. They normally just laugh at me.
I also really like jc wagners version with the prediction.
Oh! Oh! Just remembered something else. There was a STUNNING addition to the classic ootw in the crimp ages ago where you get them to stop dealing and to name the card they are about to deal. You then put it sight unseen into your pocket , at the end of the trick you produce the named card!
Can't remember how to do it though!

Jon Racherbaumer
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Location: New Orleans

Re: Out Of This World

Postby Jon Racherbaumer » August 30th, 2001, 1:41 pm

Stephen Minch is putting the finishing touches on a big book of Paul Curry's magic. There will be of course a fascinating section on "Out Of This World."

Several years ago I start compiling ALL of the versions that had been published, while trying to simultaneously track the ancestral ties and ideational links. I gave up after two months...

For sheer expediency and surprise, try Steve Draun's version in AT THE TABLE called "Getting On With This World" or Doug Conn's "As the World Turns" from his Linking Ring Parade (July-1997).

If you want to fool your brethren, check out Marlo's "Subconscious," which is buried in The Gen.

Onward...

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Matthew Field
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Favorite Magician: Slydini
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Re: Out Of This World

Postby Matthew Field » August 30th, 2001, 1:56 pm

Having just edited the new Paul Curry book for Stephen Minch, i can say that there is some interesting material in OOTW in there (naturally). But I favor the Gene Grant version, done with a shuffled deck.

Matt Field

Guest

Re: Out Of This World

Postby Guest » August 30th, 2001, 3:58 pm

There was a trick published in the Magicana column in Genii about 12 years ago when Jim Patton was heading it. It was called the "Black and Red trick" by John Kennedy. I've used it ever since then. I have never another magician perform it and I've taken in a lot of people with it. It uses a full deck stack but is extremely easy to do. Anybody remember this and what do you think?

Dan LeFay
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Re: Out Of This World

Postby Dan LeFay » September 24th, 2001, 7:28 am

i recently saw at a Dutch convention the following:
Magician did first "Galaxy" to get into the effect.
After that he let the spectator shuffle the deck, make one pile of 26 cards taken from every part of the deck he wanted.
When both piles were turned face up Voila!!!
A complete audience of Magicians were speechless!
The spectator, though a magician himself, had no clue.
This performer, Herman Koster, actually had two methods to do this.
I must admit, I've never seen it done faster, more convincing and therefore more magical...

Tomas Blomberg
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Re: Out Of This World

Postby Tomas Blomberg » September 24th, 2001, 8:39 am

After that he let the spectator shuffle the deck, make one pile of 26 cards taken from every part of the deck he wanted.

This sounds exceptionally good to me. The big problem I've seen with the full decks OOTW is that the spectator, incredibly enough, separates the deck in exactly two packets of 26 cards each without being instructed to make sure there are exactly 26 cards in one packet.

The OOTW that only deals with part of the deck does not have that problem. Doug Conn solves this cleverly in his full deck version by having three spectators simultaneously divide parts of the deck. That means that it's ok if each spectator makes uneven packets.

/Tomas

[ September 24, 2001: Message edited by: Tomas Blomberg ]


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