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Thumbing through Harry Loraynes Close Up Card Magic for something new to put in to my act I settled on Lazy Mans Card Trick. It works easilly with a little set up and makes quite a nice starter for a card set.

For anybody who knows the effect you will know that having had the card chosen and cut in to the pack you get the spectator to do a few cuts then turn the deck upside down to cut it again a few times. Two weeks ruuning now in performaing this trick the spectator has turned the deck over and found their chosen card staring up at them.

I wouldn't have known this except for their reaction! That I had had them cut a card in to a deck, had the deck cut a couple of times and forced their card to the bottom without ever touching the deck brought out a very satisfying wow and praise for a really extraordinary trick.

Nobody has any idea quite how extraordinary it was - and I was certainly not going to tell them. There are times when you just have to accept the dose of good luck that happens to you and milk it!

Yup, and the real trick is to recognise beforehand when those moments can potentially happen and make sure you're prepared to take the credit.

You can use a breather card to increase the odds of it happening.

little moments like that are always brilliant

I would never perform the Lazy Man's Card Trick as an opener! But hey, styles differ.

Got to grab those moments by the cajones.

Hell yes, these are some of the funnnest moments in performing magic, where coincidence and chance have done the work so you can sit back, look magical and feel rather damn pleased with yourself.

Milk those moments for all theyre worth

Now this is getting spooky! I used this again at an office party last night and exactly the same thing happened again.

I think my luck must have run its course with this trick!

Is it the exact same pack of cards you're using? Maybe one of the cards has got bent a little and has become a 'breather' by mistake so the spec will cut to it more often than others. If so, you got yourself a nice little miracle waiting to happen anytime you try the trick.

I have at least twice had the opposite happen to me, end up with the chosen card on top (when the cards are face down) and been able to tell the spectator to imagine his chosen card somewhere in the deck and think hard enough to force it on top of the deck — and then tell him to turn over the top card. That has been much stronger than to count down, but I have never had the card staring at the spectator when he flips the whole deck over. That must be funny to see.

A J Irving wrote:Is it the exact same pack of cards you're using? Maybe one of the cards has got bent a little and has become a 'breather' by mistake so the spec will cut to it more often than others. If so, you got yourself a nice little miracle waiting to happen anytime you try the trick.

No, I used a completely new deck last night, its just luck...... or real magic

Lenoir wrote:I would never perform the Lazy Man's Card Trick as an opener! But hey, styles differ.

Got to grab those moments by the cajones.

I only use it as an opener to my card set because I start out with the deck stacked. I usually stack the deck for a Transpo which is what I actaully do first then I palm off the dupe and put the deck on the table for the spec to do the rest with the Lazy Man stack at the bottom.

I rarely start my set with cards, I like to kick off with sponge balls if I can.