Any Card at Any Number (PDF) by Matthew Johnson $35.00
56 pages, 23 photos, 2 performance videos and 10 video tutorials
Available at: http://www.thecorporatemagician.com/magicstore.html
God: Right! Arthur, King of the Britons, your Knights of the Round Table shall have a task to make them an example in these dark times.
Arthur: Good idea, oh Lord!
God: Of course it's a good idea! Behold! Arthur, this is the Holy Grail. Look well, Arthur, for it is your sacred task to seek this Grail. That is your purpose, Arthur, the quest for the Holy Grail.
--- Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Matthew Johnson joins a growing band of seekers in search of the so-called Grail of ACAAN. In this well produced PDF, Mr. Johnson offers three handlings of the effect, and includes ideas from Marc Paul, Cody Fisher, Bill Fritz and Eric Gretencord.
The author writes well and does a thorough job of teaching the material. He also includes his complete performance script.
I was very impressed by one feature of the PDF. To complement the text, Mr. Johnson provides links to a secret page on his website where the reader will find two performance videos and ten video tutorials. This is a terrific feature that greatly facilitates the learning process.
The PDF begins with a Forward by Marc Paul in which he describes his first meeting with Mr. Johnson and their discussion of ACAAN.
Mr. Paul discusses the principle employed in his effect, Affected by Berglas. This principle, though not used for an ACAAN effect, was previously used by Al Koran in 1959, and by Audley Walsh in 1938. Mr. Johnsons handlings were inspired by Affected by Berglas and utilize this principle.
Mr. Paul also shares a memorized deck version of Mr. Johnsons handling. This is a very good idea, as it allows you to show the faces of several cards that precede and follow the selected card. I like it.
Lets take a look at Mr. Johnsons three versions of ACAAN.
ACAAN #1: A participant freely names any suit, say Clubs. The performer removes a cased deck from his pocket and tables it. The participant freely names any Club, say the Five. The participant freely names any number from 1 52, say 31. The performer removes the face-down deck from the case and hands it to the participant. She counts the cards into a face-down pile. She turns the 31st card face-up and it is the Five of Clubs.
This is an extremely fair and direct handling that creates a powerful impact. A specially prepared deck is required and it cant be examined. Some simple mental calculation is required. There is also more going on than meets the eye. I cant be more specific, lest I tip the method. I really like it.
Mr. Johnson also teaches a simple method by which the participant unknowingly resets the deck. I dont like this resetting version because it slows down and disrupts the tempo of the effect.
ACAAN #2: The performer asks the participant to choose either number cards or court cards. If she chooses court cards, the performer removes a cased deck from his pocket and tables it. If she chooses number cards, she is asked to name any suit. The performer removes a cased deck from his pocket and tables it. The participant freely names a specific card of that suit and any number between 1 52. The performer removes the face-down deck from the case and hands it to her. She counts the cards into a face-down pile, turns over the card at her selected number and discovers her card.
A specially prepared deck is required and it cant be examined. The mental calculations are even easier than version #1. There is more going on than meets the eye. I dont like this version because it requires the performer to ask an additional question, and because something else is required.
ACAAN #3: The performer tables a cased deck. He tells the participant that he selected one card at random and placed it at a particular position in the deck. He states that he is going to attempt to psychically transmit the exact card and the exact location to the participant. At the conclusion of this psychic procedure, the performer removes the face-down deck from the case and hands it to the participant. She counts the cards into a face-down pile and discovers the selected card at the selected number.
A specially prepared deck is required and it cant be examined. Some simple mental calculation is required.
Mr. Johnson uses a technique developed by Christopher Taylor. The procedure requires the participant to handle the deck while the performers back is turned. To transmit the cards color, suit, value and its specific position in the deck, the performer must turn his back on the participant four times! This procedure strikes me as being excessive and rather rude. If your goal is to engage and build rapport with your participant, this is a dreadful approach.
I field tested this technique (not the entire effect) on four co-workers and my wife. In each case, I was unable to transmit the information. In three cases, my receivers figured out the method. Perhaps Im completely inept. Maybe the technique doesnt work with therapists. Whatever the case, it doesnt work for me.
However, when I performed the effect for the same co-workers using a reliable, time-honored technique, they were amazed. So, while I dont like the effect when Mr. Taylors technique is employed, I do like it when an old school technique is used.
Cody Fisher offers a variation of ACAAN #1. The cased deck is lying on the table. A participant freely calls out a suit. 75% of the time, the performer must use a procedure that involves whipping out a $100.00 bill and placing it on the table. The performer states that if the effect is unsuccessful, the participant can keep the c-note.
First of all, no sentient creature would ever produce a bill in this unnatural, cumbersome manner. This is an awkward, method-driven handling.
Second, I detest presentations in which a performer slams money on the table to create this type of challenge scenario. The performers meta-communication is, Look, this trick is foolproof. Ive been using this same bill for years and youre not going home with it. I only use it to satisfy my pathological need to look like an arrogant jerk. And they succeed. I dont like it.
Bill Fritz describes his version of ACAAN #2. The cased deck is tabled. A participant freely calls out any card. 80% of the time, the performer is required to use a procedure that involves awkwardly removing a business card and a pen with which the participant can write down his named card and number. I dont like it because of the aforementioned, clunky procedure.
Mr. Fritz also offers his version of ACAAN #3. The cased deck is tabled. The participant freely calls out any number from 1 10. The performer fairly removes a pad of Post-Its, hands the participant a sheet and has her write down her number. Using a time-honored procedure, the performer assists the participant in choosing a suit. She then freely names a number from 1 52 and the effect concludes as usual. I like it.
Eric Gretencord shares his variation of ACAAN #1. While I like the fact that the performer can display the indifferent cards that precede and follow the selection, I dont like this version because 75% of the time the performer must use the previously mentioned infernal procedure.
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