Don Bice

[Bob Farmer]

I'm writing a new book on matrix magic, which will be called, The Bammo Gridlock Dossier. It will be an extensive analysis of this area of magic.

In one of David Copperfield's TV specials, he did an effect involving the Orient Express. Different cards were displayed on the screen and the viewer followed some directions to end up on a particular card.

In Martin Gardner's book, Martin Gardner Presents, he says that Max Maven provided assistance with the effect.

But then he says that Don Bice gets credit for the method to force the parity of the spectator’s choice.

By this, I assume he means two things: the opening sequence starts with four choices. The viewer picks one then additional cards are added to fill in the matrix and make those choices appear in the proper squares.

Is this correct?

[Richard Kaufman]

You want to watch Max's old Mind Games video. It's on YouTube.

[Brad Henderson]

That’s likely what he is referring to. I prefer the one which I believe is Bob Neale’s. they have a free choice of where to start. They spell the word on the card. The number of those letters are contrived so that after that spell they will always be in one of the parity sets for your sequence. I believe this is in bob’s tricks of the imagination.

I have a couple of versions I’ve worked out for events. I use them as interactive ‘puzzles’ where the result is under my control.

[Jack Shalom]

Simon Aronson had some work on this too, where he put the move directions on individual file cards. I'm blanking on the name of it, I think it was in Simply Simon.

[Bob Farmer]

Yes, Simon's routine was called Moves and Removes and has some very sneaky elements.

I'm looking for a copy of Karl Fulves's book, Hex Squared, if anyone has one they'd like to sell.

[Philippe Billot]

In Denis Behr's Conjuring Archive, you can get a list under the title

Matrix Layouts & Tapestry

[BarryAllen]

Bob - excuse my ignorance but is this what's known as 'The Dudeny Principle' (first released by Henry Ernest Dudeney in 1917)?

If so, Paul Gordon covers some extremely commercial ideas within his superb 2009 publication - 'The Unplanned Card Book'.

[Bob Farmer]

No, we are talking about Karl Fulves's "Hex Squared" and its variations.

[mbreggar]

Bob, what is the name of the Gardner trick?

[Philippe Billot]

Hex Squared by Karl Fulves is described in Pallbearers Review, Vol. 7, no. 1, nov 1971, page 466 and you have some other informations page 512 and 550.

Gardner's trick entitled Quant Quirk was published in Octet in 1981, then in Martin Gardner Presents, page 153, published in 1993 (thank to RK)