Insane ACAN method

Discuss your favorite close-up tricks and methods.
Jon Pendragon
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Insane ACAN method

Postby Jon Pendragon » May 28th, 2021, 12:38 am

Inspired by the recent article on David Berglas, I have devised the ultimate Any Card Any Number for some wealthy and crazy magician. You make a deck shell and buy 52 Destiny decks, one for every card. Shell goes on table and you ask for a card. Stall as the correct deck is feed to you which you load into the shell. Open pack and remove deck. Now ask for any number.... I know, it's nuts but man would it be clean. The deck is there, ask for a card, remove deck from box, ask for number. So $4,160.00 dollars and a deck shell plus tax and shipping. :D

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Re: Insane ACAN method

Postby Brad Henderson » May 28th, 2021, 1:15 am

If someone has to pick the deck to feed you, you can eliminate 51 decks.

Deck is in memdeck order.
Card named - removed by secret assistant
Number named - put in proper place (easy as the order in memorized)

I’d use a card box as the shell. Have a gaffed card in bottom of the pack with image of box on one side.

Conveyer.
Lift

Count

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Re: Insane ACAN method

Postby Leo Garet » May 28th, 2021, 10:29 am

Sounds good, price sounds reasonable, but I need to see an honest dem on Youtube before I take further action.

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Re: Insane ACAN method

Postby Denis Behr » May 28th, 2021, 11:45 am

That type of general method has been thought of by most magicians pondering solutions for named card effects like ACAAN. It's best used as a fake explanation, see the brilliant Asi Wind appearance on Fool Us.

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erdnasephile
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Re: Insane ACAN method

Postby erdnasephile » May 28th, 2021, 11:58 am

On a tangential note: In the introduction to RK's Sawa's Library of Magic, Vol. 1, Michael Skinner relates a cool named card effect by Dr. Sawa that has a similar blow off at the end.

(PS: I wish that Vol 1 had some subsequent brothers and sisters to go along with it--Dr. Sawa is a genius!)

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Re: Insane ACAN method

Postby Jon Pendragon » May 28th, 2021, 4:35 pm

Denis, Asi is a genius. My complete method isn't fake, it follows a different methodological thought process. I would think that anyone needing an explanation of ACAN would simply assume the use of multiple (2) plants. One could also use a single deck of the Destiny Cards to force the card and then find it wherever, but it eliminates the verbal free choice which is the effects strongest points. Don't confuse pipe dream with potential. I have seen Asi's presentation on Fool Us (I still have the nagging suspicion that the name of the show was chosen so that the initials would be FU) doesn't follow the Berglas narrative exactly. What I suggest is closer to David's storyline and would require no equivocation, although that technique could reduce the D deck requirement to 12 because once established, the follow through would conform perfectly to the first choice.

Onstage is a flat table with no trim. on it sits a deck under a glass dome. Any card is asked for, no equivocation, although it would help reduce the number of decks needed. The dome is removed and placed aside. I approach the table and both hands are clearly empty. I pick up the pack and open the box to remove the cards. I immediately place the pack on the table without running through cards. Now I ask for any number. I step back and ask them to come forward and count down to the number and place the remaining pack on the table. At this point I show the discards as all different. I slide the top card off the remaining pack and ask the spectator to hold it without turning it over. Now I show the rest of the cards as different. Finally, a very fair and strong recap before I ask the spectator to turn over the card. That is as minimal a handling of the cards as I have ever seen for the effect without the use of plants or equivocation.

I have already performed an effect at the Magic Castle that involves the steal and loading of the pact into the shell. It's very clean, which is always my goal, to make it clean, practical and very deceptive. This is doable. Oh hell, since I am comfortable and crazy... I might as well do it.

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Re: Insane ACAN method

Postby Grippo's Wish » May 30th, 2021, 2:28 pm

In all honesty, I once DID perform the "perfect" ACAAN: I have a mnemonica deck, I asked for a card and a number, and they actually named the "right" combination of card and number without any force of any kind. It was literally the most perfect ACAAN one could ask for. And yet - I had the LAMEST reaction I ever had for a trick.

They were two women.

Stupid ones I suppose.

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Re: Insane ACAN method

Postby Dave Le Fevre » May 30th, 2021, 3:53 pm

Grippo's Wish wrote:I once DID perform the "perfect" ACAAN: I have a mnemonica deck, I asked for a card and a number, and they actually named the "right" combination of card and number without any force of any kind
That's exactly what happened in the close-up competition in my magic club years ago. I was the table host, and the performer grinned at me as he handed the deck to the spectator and asked them to deal to their number.

Got a great reaction. He could have founded a religion, and they'd have worshipped him.

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Re: Insane ACAN method

Postby Jon Pendragon » June 1st, 2021, 7:14 pm

I have placed my presentation in parlor setting. That will change the dynamics of the performance, but yes, too perfect can be boring.

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Re: Insane ACAN method

Postby Al Schneider » February 4th, 2022, 8:44 pm

I am wondering if someone can help me. The video below was on an L&L DVD I helped them produce. My problem is that I am not expert on mental stuff. Most of the material on the DVD was coins and cards. No mental stuff. This trick was a shot in the dark. It was not audience tested. My only awareness was that book tests usually had books on stage that were used. My goal was to use any book. So, I came up with this routine and it went into the DVD a few weeks or so later. My question: is this method like any test out there? That is, did I lift someone else’s trick?

http://www.worldmagiccenter.com/WMC/AAA-BOOKTEST.wmv

It will take some time to load.

The reason I am addressing this now. This sequence works very well for any card named at any location. I am considering publishing the routine as that trick. The sequence of events is the same for each performance, no fishing and a regular deck of cards is used.

Any input would be great.
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Re: Insane ACAN method

Postby Jack Shalom » February 4th, 2022, 8:52 pm

Grippo's Wish wrote:In all honesty, I once DID perform the "perfect" ACAAN: I have a mnemonica deck, I asked for a card and a number, and they actually named the "right" combination of card and number without any force of any kind. It was literally the most perfect ACAAN one could ask for. And yet - I had the LAMEST reaction I ever had for a trick.


It's not super improbable; in fact, that should hit 1 in 52 tries, though it seems like the probability should be smaller.

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Re: Insane ACAN method

Postby Tarotist » February 4th, 2022, 10:36 pm

This must be the most overrated card trick of all time.

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Re: Insane ACAN method

Postby Al Schneider » February 5th, 2022, 3:38 am

First, I don't understand your rant against chances of 1 in 52. This is in essence the effect of the Invisible Deck which is a known powerful trick. It is very powerful. Second, I kind of agree with you on ACAN routines in which there is a hunt for a card even though it may be concealed in some kind of patter theme. Then there are those that use a special deck. But the plot is sound and I would think you would be excited about that. Third, as for two women not being impressed, hey man that is part of performing. I once did an ambitious card routine for a farmer across from my mother's farm. No reaction. I inquired why and he said, "Isn't that how cards work?" Normally the routine kills. Forth, I was hoping for a discussion of historical methods regarding the method I used. I have found that when magicians are fooled, they say, "That's interesting," say the trick isn't commercial, or change the subject. From your reaction, I gather you don't know how my little trick worked. The staff at L&L were floored.
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Re: Insane ACAN method

Postby Tarotist » February 5th, 2022, 7:43 am

Oh, just use a svengali deck and be done with it! Fan the deck in front of someone's eyes so that only the key card shows. Of course you will have to buy my book to find out how to do that. Say to the spectator, "Think of any card you see. Don't move a muscle---don't say anything. Just think of a card!" He will of course think of the key card. You can now shuffle the svengali deck either by overhand or riffle shuffle. Again my book will tell you how to do that. Ask for a number and count down to the bloody thing. You could get someone else to count to it and make the trick as boring as it normally is but I don't recommend it.

There. You will get twice the reaction that all the other boring methods produce and it will be over in half the time.

You don't like a trick deck? OK. You can do exactly the same thing with a regular deck. More or less the same method. I have to leave now but will explain it later this evening. Not hard to work out. Just a blank pressure fan and a bottom deal. I bet you can figure it out from the last sentence.

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Re: Insane ACAN method

Postby MagicbyAlfred » February 5th, 2022, 9:34 am

Tarotist wrote:Oh, just use a svengali deck and be done with it! Fan the deck in front of someone's eyes so that only the key card shows. Of course you will have to buy my book to find out how to do that. Say to the spectator, "Think of any card you see. Don't move a muscle---don't say anything. Just think of a card!" He will of course think of the key card. You can now shuffle the svengali deck either by overhand or riffle shuffle. Again my book will tell you how to do that. Ask for a number and count down to the bloody thing. You could get someone else to count to it and make the trick as boring as it normally is but I don't recommend it.

There. You will get twice the reaction that all the other boring methods produce and it will be over in half the time...


Alternatively with a Sven deck: (1) Show all the cards to be "different." (2) Have spectator A cut and complete the cut as many times as desired, then to look at/show everyone the top "randomly selected" card. (3) The selection is replaced back on top and the spectator cuts and completes the cut. (4) Magician can now riffle shuffle, then spectator cuts and completes the cut (Yes, as Tarotist noted, a Sven deck can be riffle shuffled with impunity). The selection is now "complete;y lost" in the pack with nobody able to know its location (5) Spectator B can now name any number between 1 and 52 and deal down to that number. Depending upon whether the number called is odd or even, the last card dealt, or the very next card (which is the top card of the packet of un-dealt cards) can be revealed. It is the selection. (Of course, if desired, after Spectator B ceases dealing, it can be shown that if he had chosen a number even one digit higher or one digit lower than the chosen number, it would have been a miss.

I realize that this method does not involve Spectator B simply naming any number, but I don't think that the cutting to a random card procedure in order to obtain a selection is that less strong, if at all.

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Re: Insane ACAN method

Postby Jonathan Townsend » February 5th, 2022, 10:24 am

As Tarotist explained, the sven pack permits a very direct and surefire approach to the trick. The problem with the performer handling the cards is that it takes the mystery and moves it into "magic trick" land.

Is anyone performing the item to end with: "so this must be your pack of cards" and giving away the pack?

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Re: Insane ACAN method

Postby katterfelt0 » February 5th, 2022, 10:38 am

Jack Shalom wrote:
Grippo's Wish wrote:In all honesty, I once DID perform the "perfect" ACAAN: I have a mnemonica deck, I asked for a card and a number, and they actually named the "right" combination of card and number without any force of any kind.


It's not super improbable; in fact, that should hit 1 in 52 tries, though it seems like the probability should be smaller.


It likely will be smaller. There are certain cards named much more frequently than others, meaning the likelihood of the number being named for one of those cards is more likely to bema hit.
Effect and method are inextricably linked.

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Re: Insane ACAN method

Postby Richard Kaufman » February 5th, 2022, 10:49 am

Using a Svengali deck for this trick can be found in the Encyclopedia of Card Tricks, I believe.
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Re: Insane ACAN method

Postby JHostler » February 5th, 2022, 7:24 pm

I believe there's only one possible strategy for meeting purist conditions (magician never touches the deck, no gimmicks/gaffs/devices, no pre-show, two randomly-selected volunteers simply naming a single card and single number with no "procedure," and one of those volunteers dealing the cards). That this strategy is marred by its simplicity and cheekiness (as one recipient of Of Treasure and Tribbles put it) means it will probably never [or at best rarely] be deployed before a live audience. :cry: :)

I suspect our pursuit of this "holy grail" shall never be completely satisfied without real magic.
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Re: Insane ACAN method

Postby Tarotist » February 5th, 2022, 8:47 pm

It is these purist conditions that ruin the trick! This "never touching the deck" crap and "getting the spectator to do the dealing" nonsense not to mention (even if I am mentioning it) this twaddle about getting the spectator to think of a card in their mind instead of just removing one or looking at a fan of cards and thinking of one. The latter restricts the method and you end up with some convoluted nonsense where you have to prattle and prattle and chatter, yakkity yak for minutes on end and by the end of it nobody cares where the bloody card is any more anyway.
If the trick takes more than three minutes to do it isn't worth doing anyway. Two minutes is even better. Al Baker said, "Many a trick has been killed by improvement" This is a prime example of it.

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Re: Insane ACAN method

Postby JHostler » February 5th, 2022, 8:52 pm

Oh, Tarotist... I'm suggesting those purist conditions don't need to be negatives if we don't want them to be!
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Re: Insane ACAN method

Postby Tarotist » February 5th, 2022, 8:59 pm

Jonathan Townsend wrote:As Tarotist explained, the sven pack permits a very direct and surefire approach to the trick. The problem with the performer handling the cards is that it takes the mystery and moves it into "magic trick" land.

Is anyone performing the item to end with: "so this must be your pack of cards" and giving away the pack?


I hate to tell you this but it IS a magic trick! As for your latter point you CAN do it with a borrowed or regular deck. I have seen many methods in older books without all the silly restrictions that are the standard fare. Anyway this is my method with a standard deck. Do a blank face reverse pressure fan, hold them up to one person and say, "Think of any card you see. Don't move a muscle-don't say anything -just think of one card you see" Have a slight emphasis on the word "see". This is an old stunt where you make an instant stooge of someone and they will name the only card they can see which is the bottom one.

Shuffle the cards keeping the selected card on the bottom. Now ask someone to name a number between 1 and 52. Let us assume they say 23. Deal 22 cards from the top. Pause and point to a separate point on the table saying, "and 23 goes over here". This gives you a bit of misdirection and some time to get the card into position for the bottom deal. Ask for the name of the card selected then reveal it. Your instant stooge will still not know how you found the correct number and everyone else will be doubly baffled.

I really dislike this business of getting a spectator to deal the cards. It takes forever, they might mess things up and if you do it yourself there are shades of the too perfect theory at work. Only shades but it helps the mystery. It is so much more efficient to deal the cards yourself rather than slow the action up.

Magic should be DIRECT and the less faffling around the better.

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Re: Insane ACAN method

Postby Brad Jeffers » February 5th, 2022, 9:05 pm

katterfelt0 wrote:It likely will be smaller. There are certain cards named much more frequently than others, meaning the likelihood of the number being named for one of those cards is more likely to be a hit.

???

Although it's true that certain cards are named more frequently than others, this has no bearing on the probability of someone naming a card plus a number between 1 and 52 and having the named card being at the named location.

It's still 1 in 52 whether they name the ace of spades or the nine of clubs.

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Re: Insane ACAN method

Postby Tarotist » February 5th, 2022, 9:10 pm

There is a method of knowing beforehand what card a person is going to name. I invented it decades ago and I think Martin Breese put it in print somewhere. In fact I actually fooled David Berglas himself with it even though I wasn't there at the time. Figure that one out! In fact I suspect he realised what the method was and may have used it himself with his version of this trick.

I do know a way of selecting someone and asking them to name a card and I will know before they open their mouth what card they will name. I don't know how to make someone name a number I want but I bet there is a method. Anyway, I was about to type out my method of finding out what card a person is about to name but I have changed my mind in mid sentence. I have received a message from my spirit guide that such a pearl of wisdom will go unappreciated so I shall keep it for myself. Martin Breese did mention it somewhere and devoted a full three lines to it so if you can find it you will deserve to have it.

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Re: Insane ACAN method

Postby Barefoot Boy » February 6th, 2022, 1:24 am

Funny story:

There is a local magician here in the Toronto area (James F.) who has created somewhat of a reputation for himself. This magician knows that if I am ever asked to think of or name a card, I always pick the Jack of Clubs because it is my favourite. James has filed this information in his mind and often uses it to make me look good.

When the Toronto magicians gather in the magic shop, all of us chatting in our own little groups, James will force the Jack of Clubs on somebody. He informs his participant that Paul Pacific is a great mentalist and can read his thoughts.

James then calls to me from across the room, perhaps interrupting a conversation I might be having with other people. He says, "Paul, this guy in front of me is thinking of a card. What card is he thinking of?"

Because I always say the Jack of Clubs I pretend to concentrate and then say (of course) "The Jack of Clubs!" A true miracle.

One day James used it to fool several magicians at once by performing his version of ACAAN. He had me 'think' of any card and had another guy think of any number. James counted down to the number the fellow named and asked me to tell everyone what card I had in mind. I said the Jack of Clubs and lo and behold, the card arrived at was indeed the Jack of Clubs.

He knew I would think of the Jack, and he must've known the other guy would think of a specific number.... but for the magicians watching, it was a very clean and strong performance of the Berglas Effect.
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Re: Insane ACAN method

Postby Jack Shalom » February 6th, 2022, 5:27 am

Dani DaOrtiz has some incredible work on his Utopia DVD on psychologically forcing the name of a card without using a deck, and forcing a number as well. It opens up a completely different way of thinking about think-a-card and ACAAN effects.

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Re: Insane ACAN method

Postby katterfelt0 » February 6th, 2022, 6:43 am

Brad Jeffers wrote:
katterfelt0 wrote:It likely will be smaller. There are certain cards named much more frequently than others, meaning the likelihood of the number being named for one of those cards is more likely to be a hit.

???

Although it's true that certain cards are named more frequently than others, this has no bearing on the probability of someone naming a card plus a number between 1 and 52 and having the named card being at the named location.

It's still 1 in 52 whether they name the ace of spades or the nine of clubs.


Yep, true. I had a senior moment. I stand corrected.
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Re: Insane ACAN method

Postby chetday » February 7th, 2022, 3:28 pm

Out of curiosity a few years ago, I was sitting in the living room with my wife. She was reading and I was messing around with a deck of cards. I looked at the bottom card. A three of spades. Holding the deck in my hand so the three of spaces was visible to my wife's field of vision as I scratched the side of my face with my forefinger, I asked her, "What are you reading?" She looked up from her book and looked at me and our eyes met. I immediately lowered my hand with the deck and waited while she told me what she was reading.

"Let's try something," I said, putting the deck with the three of spaces now on top on the coffee table. "Take a deep breath and think of a card."

Much to my delight, she responded with, "Three of spades."

"Hmm," I said. "Turn over the top card."

She reached over to the coffee table and turned over the three of spades.

"Wow, how did you do that?" I asked.

After a Sunday dinner, I tried something similar to this with my daughter-in-law, who hates magic because she can't stand not knowing how a trick is done (and I never tell her). This approach worked with her, too. And when she said, "How did you do that?" I had the intense satisfaction of replying, "I didn't do it. You did."

I'm mainly a student of card magic and I rarely perform for anyone, so I have no idea if this approach could be tweaked to the point where it worked on a reliably regular basis. And though I've thought about it some, I've yet to have a good idea for how to subliminally plant a number between 1 and 52 before trying this trick on someone.

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Re: Insane ACAN method

Postby Tarotist » February 7th, 2022, 7:35 pm

Oddly enough what Chet has just written was independently invented by Robert Harbin who came up with exactly the same idea.

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Re: Insane ACAN method

Postby Tarotist » February 7th, 2022, 7:58 pm

OK. Now that I am in a better mood I will tell you how I know what card a person is going to name. There are actually two methods. Barefoot Boy has given a bit of a clue to the first method. People often have a favourite card that they always think of or will name out loud when you ask them to name a card. David Berglas for example will usually say the ten of clubs. (See---I am psychic and know these things).
However, the problem with this method is that most of the time you will not know what card they are inclined to name. However, my most brilliant second method will provide this essential detail.

I don't like to expose methods on the internet so let me try to do it in such a way that the curious won't know what the hell I am talking about. First, you have to purchase or own the Royal Road to Card Magic. Or preferably my most wondrous Annotated Royal Road obtainable here (third book down):
http://marklewisentertainment.com/html/magicians.html

Now go to Chapter Nineteen (Routines) and seek out the last routine. (Razzle Dazzle routine). Near the end of the description you will see an amusing sequence where a spectator will name a card at random. If you rush the selection a little they will name the card you want. Some time misdirection will be required and when you judge that to be of a sufficient length ask that person to name a card quickly and it will be the same one they named before. You may well be able to use that subtlety in this card at any number thingand in fact from a description I read somewhere I suspect David Berglas uses it on occasion too. Maybe he read the Martin Breese thing at some point---I have no idea. I hope so because if so then I can claim I invented the bloody trick in the first place!

I think it might be possible to use the same principle for the number too although I have never tried it. Get them to name a number between one and fifty two for some other trick and then maybe a week later do the card and number thing. It probably won't work but it is food for thought and some "knowledge box" magician with too much time on their hands might use this idea as a basis.

I don't use this idea for any card at any number although I probably could. However, what I do is simply reverse the card in question in the deck and do the brainwave deck trick with a regular deck. If they should name the wrong card you can easily get out of the problem since they don't know what is going to happen anyway.

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Re: Insane ACAN method

Postby Tarotist » February 8th, 2022, 7:57 pm

Actually my favourite version of this trick is a very old one called "The Magic Breath". I read it in Hugard's Magic Manual and included it in "The Annotated Royal Road to Card Magic". It might not be the most baffling version but I think it is the most entertaining one. I used to do it all the time but have neglected it over the years. I will have to start doing it again.

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Re: Insane ACAN method

Postby Barefoot Boy » February 8th, 2022, 9:30 pm

When I was a younger barefoot boy than I am now, I thought I'd be clever and present a trick as an ACAAN.

I was (and indeed still am) a huge fan of Corinda's 13 Steps. In it there is an effect called Photo-Memory by Hans Trixer. It is basically a pseudo-memory trick with a deck of cards. But when I was a clever 16-year-old I thought I'd present it as more of a Berglas-type effect.

I'd have a selected card secretly controlled to the top while a second spectator simply thought of any number between say 10 and 30. Using the method of Hans Trixer sure enough, the card was found at that mentally selected number.

In my young mind, it seemed a natural way to simulate a Berglas Effect. While not a true ACAAN, I remember getting a few good reactions from performing the trick not as a memory stunt but as an impromptu-style ACAAN.
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Re: Insane ACAN method

Postby Tarotist » February 10th, 2022, 1:15 am

I just checked out the Hans Trixer version. It is OK but on balance the "Magic Breath" is much better, particularly from a presentational point of view.The trick looks as if it has gone wrong but after the spectator breathes on the deck (hence the magic breath) the selected card is discovered after all! The best part of the trick is that it is very easy to do. Self working in fact.


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