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Re: David Alexander's 'Holy Grail' Open Prediction

Posted: January 3rd, 2018, 11:29 pm
by Leonard Hevia
MagicbyAlfred wrote:It seems there are two choices here: (1) An effect which, under the stated conditions, "seems impossible" (by the OP's own admission) is, in fact, impossible; or (2) although the effect seems impossible, it actually is possible because it's alleged creator and his (as yet unknown) supporters, all of whom are reputed magicians or mentalists, say that it is.


Absolutely Alfred, and I don't blame the OP if he wants to believe the impossibility of meeting James' conditions and pulling this off. That's part of the fun of magic. If Tom performed this for a spectator on video chat, I suspect he might have relied on some mathematical force where a number is forced and the card dealt to that number is the face down prediction. Possibly culled from the no hands, self working school of card effects, which by the way, James was quite fond of.

Re: David Alexander's 'Holy Grail' Open Prediction

Posted: January 4th, 2018, 10:24 am
by MagicbyAlfred
Yes, Leo, good point. The fun of magic! That is (and always has been) why I'm in the game...

Re: David Alexander's 'Holy Grail' Open Prediction

Posted: January 4th, 2018, 1:45 pm
by Pete McCabe
Stewart James's published solution may meet all the conditions, but it is not the Open Prediction. It's a different effect, and not just because it has been routined with other tricks (in a very clever way, but still). It is, sadly, an effect that is much less impressive and less interesting than the Open Prediction.

Meanwhile, Guy Hollingworth's "Cassandra Quandary" is still the only presentation for the trick that really makes sense of it all. That I've seen, anyway. I'd love to see another.

Re: David Alexander's 'Holy Grail' Open Prediction

Posted: January 4th, 2018, 6:00 pm
by Jonathan Townsend
Pete McCabe wrote:...Meanwhile, Guy Hollingworth's "Cassandra Quandary" is still the only presentation for the trick that really makes sense of it all. That I've seen, anyway. I'd love to see another.


Combining a card vanish with a fated appearance - impressive. Thanks for the reminder about Guy's item.

Re: David Alexander's 'Holy Grail' Open Prediction

Posted: January 14th, 2018, 9:14 pm
by Leonard Hevia
I recently discovered the 24 page Karl Fulves manuscript 51 Faces North in my library and read several methods that do meet all of James' conditions. The hands off force of the prediction that's credited to Lin Searles is very interesting. There must have been a time when solutions to this effect were pouring in from card magicians. Fulves writes:

Introducing his version of the open prediction in Ibidem #26, Lin Searles made this amusing observation: "Every time I see another version of this effect, I think of the Kansas preacher whose prayers for rain were answered by a torrential downpour that flooded the countryside. "We need rain Lord," he said, "But, my God, this is ridiculous!"