talkmagic.co.uk

*apologies for the vagueness in parts, I'm just mindful of exposure and don't know how far to go*

Preamble
This evening I unleashed two mentalism bits I've been practicing with my flatmate. Both impressed her (one she liked, one blew her tiny little mind) but the one that she just liked - straight away she guessed how I did it. Of course I neither confirmed nor denied. I merely said 'interesting theory!'.

Now the reason I'm writing is because clearly she got it in one. When learning/reading up on the technique I had a gut feeling the method was too obvious but it's been praised in the gimmick-free mentalism thread so was prepared to be wrong.

So I had two theories as to how she guessed:

1 - my execution was pants (very possible)
2 - she knew the technique.

Well, she then went on to say "cause remember that card trick that went..." and the card trick she mentioned was the exact reason why I wasn't convinced the technique would work.

So, not being a native of these lands (I'm a sun-hating Australian) I was wondering if perhaps this mentalism technique works well in the UK because this specific card trick which all school kids knew in Australia never made it to the UK or was never big in UK schools. Bearing in mind that even though my flatmate is also Australian, we grew up with about 1000 miles between us so this trick had a long reach.

The Trick in Question.
No idea of the name of the trick but it's a self-working card trick. Participant selects a card and hides it in the deck. Magician deals out the deck in seven rows. "Which row is your card in?" Cards collected. Cards dealt again. "Which row is it in now?" Cards then dealt out in groups of four. "Pick a group?" etc. and cards are slowly eliminated. Four cards are left. "Pick two cards.", "Pick one card". It's the chosen card.

So this is a long-winded way of asking - was the above card trick a staple of school yards when you were at school? I've been here nearly 4 years and continue to be amazed at things like school yard jokes and games that never travelled so it is possible. In which case I'd avoid this with Australians in future.

I'm erring on the side of caution with details but will happily provide more if needed.

Yes this trick was, and probably still is, one of the most common tricks people learn at school here in the U.K. When a layman offers to show me a card trick it's usually this one.

It had a tendency to make people groan! Normally due to the fact they know they are in for the long haul!

Alec

I think that trick was described in David Blaine's Mysterious Stranger. I must say that I went to school here in the U.K. and I never saw anyone perform it.

It's also in RRTCM.

Can't recall the title it's given in there.

Jean Eugene Roberts wrote:Yes this trick was, and probably still is, one of the most common tricks people learn at school here in the U.K. When a layman offers to show me a card trick it's usually this one.

Here in Denmark this is very common too. Almost every child who knows a card trick or two know the secret.

Okay, so that's answered my question but raises so many more. For example, if this trick is so well known, how do people continue to be baffled by the principles of it when shown in another light? Perhaps I give too much credit to the average person's level of inquisitiveness.

Because it is shown in another light ha! Answered your own question there

A lot of people know the keycard principle for example, but since they generally have no idea how to be subtle, its a blatant stare at the card and awkward handling of the pack. In this instance, the trick becomes a puzzle.

But if you use a cheeky peek and some good presentation, they have no idea. The trick becomes magic.

In Ireland this is one of two card tricks everyone knows.
Actually, that's not true. I am familiar with the trick, but have resisted all temptations to ever learn it. Even as a seven year old.

I have known this trick for years but always forget where the card will reside after I've done the dealing procedure into rows!

Laypeople rarely know a lot of card tricks and for those that do, this will be the one they know. So when they see it performed by someone else, it will stick out like a sore thumb! I think it's the very specific dealing procedure that makes it an obvious card trick to most.

Although, nowadays, I'd just get them to peek a card and control it to a postion, and then move on to the eq*****ue for them to find their card. Makes it much cleaner and probably harder to work out.

I know the trick too, and like someone has already said, when ever someone says "I know a trick" it's almost always this one. I guess to your average person not into magic, it's not that common.

TonyB wrote:In Ireland this is one of two card tricks everyone knows.
Actually, that's not true. I am familiar with the trick, but have resisted all temptations to ever learn it. Even as a seven year old.

Just reading back actually, I missed your post, but I'm the same as you, I've seen it through out my life, and although I get it's basicly self working, haven't had any interest in learning it. It just has the smell of kids in the playground about it.

me_simon wrote:Okay, so that's answered my question but raises so many more. For example, if this trick is so well known, how do people continue to be baffled by the principles of it when shown in another light? Perhaps I give too much credit to the average person's level of inquisitiveness.

The question was answered in many posts about why she got this trick in one go.

Now I stuggle for words.

It was not necessary that she would have gotten it in one go had you performed it differently. The fact of the matter is people are really fooled by the presentation of a magic trick, rather than the method.

There really is only a hand full of concepts in magic. I can never remember them, but I think there are only 7.
Vanish
Appear
penetrate
levitate
change
Transponse

and perhaps one or two others.

To continue there are really only a handful of methods. Think about it, it doesn't matter which method you use to control a card, once the spectator is on to you all that matters is that they know you are controlling the card. The how doesn't matter in the least.

The art of magic is to present in such a way that they don't even think about you controlling a card.

Further, the 'deeper' art of magic is to entertain with magic. To entertain so that the audience really doesn't care how its done, at least thats the goal.

Truth is the card trick you presented is very well known, but keep reading your magic books, and magic theory. Read with a very critical eye. I'll save you some time, you just have to trust me. Many card effects, number effects, mentalism effects use the exact same principal. Yet they still slay audiences (both lay and magicians alike).

Basically it comes down to style, practice, presentation.

Svengali deck has been around for ever, cups and balls, linking rings, colour changing rope and a stripper deck is included in almost every magic set on the planet. Yet put them in the right hands and you have one of the best magic shows on the ery same planet.

Kroots wrote:Although, nowadays, I'd just get them to peek a card and control it to a postion, and then move on to the eq*****ue for them to find their card. Makes it much cleaner and probably harder to work out.

That's actually what I did. I had the 8 UK coins and had the values written on 8 business cards. Shuffled the cards, asked her to take one of the cards and to put it aside but NOT look at it. Then with E'****e she chose a coin - and it matched the card. Result.

I think she didn't see me shuffle the cards which made her a little skeptical from the start so I'll make sure I make it a little more obvious in future. But not too obvious!!

Like I said, she still liked it. I just didn't get the "what the hell?!?!" reaction I got when she picked a card at random from the deck and I read her mind!

bmat wrote:Now I stuggle for words.

It was not necessary that she would have gotten it in one go had you performed it differently. The fact of the matter is people are really fooled by the presentation of a magic trick, rather than the method.

I completely agree with everything you said. The reason I started the thread was because I didn't entirely baffle her, I wanted to know why. So I had two theories. It was either me or by chance she just happened to know a card trick that's not very common. As this thread has revealed - everyone knows the trick. So it was me. I learn!