What I do is say "there's a 50-50 chance of it being on the top or in the middle. As I say that, I pull the top card back. By saying the 50-50 chance, you are getting your spectator to believe you are just jestering that it is either on top (pull back now) or in the middle. be clean with it.

Posted: Nov 24, 2007 10:35pm
It's good, but the movements seem like it could lose a spectator. They may be confused with what you are doing.

Agree...movements will bury a spectator. Spectator will get lost and forget the elements of the progression of the effect.

Agreed - too complicated, much like 3 cups and 3 balls can be too complicated when the spec is asked to follow the money card...........

I hope this isn't off topic, but I use a red queen, a joker, and the $14 card instead of the colored diamonds. I also tell a story about how I got ripped off in a big city with the three card monte. When I do this, the moves are supposed to look fishy because it's all part of the story and hooking the audience for the killer finish. Just my two cents!

I use jack carpenters opening of 3 card monte for color monte. Do a DL showing the Blue (money) card and turn it down and do a very obvious second deal while you say to put their finger on the money card (pointing at the one you just second dealt)...they think you are trying to trick them and will point to the top of the two cards in your hand (green $$ card)....you simply turnover the card you second dealt saying "luckily it was just for fun, now let me tell you a story about how I got conned".....spectator sees a very open display of all cards when you really have not shown anything...and then you can start of the routine with the patter accompanied with the trick...the audience will not question anything as this is only a demo.

After I do that move. I simply pause, tap the top card (with my finger) and at the same time I say now "maybe the top card" - it redirects the customer attention back onto the top card.

It seems to work a trick.

Ya know, it's the really simple things like that, that make MASSIVE differences in the audience perception and enjoyment of the effect. Just that little inference looks to be a huge improvement. I'm going to try it (with thanks to you now) next time I do it.

Thanks!

Dave

I like Oz Pearlman's handling on this great packet trick. Check the demo on CM in http://www.penguinmagic.com

Jeff

I don't find it awkward at all. I say it could be the top or botom card during the move. it flies past everyone.

I have been doing CM for about 20 yrs. It is one of the biggest selling tricks of all time and I think it kills. I do the handling straight out of the instructions including the Christ/Anneman (sp?)alignment move and I have never had a problem. This doesn't mean everyone else's thoughts aren't valid, just that I have never had a problem and don't think you would either if it is given the practice that it requires. Good luck.

Some great thoughts on this posting.

Let me clarify that I do believe the move itself works, is easy and most of the time it does fly past the spectator.

For me though, it's as if you see some walk, skip, jog, do a cartwheel, skip and walk... which one just seems out of place?

Every other hand action in the routine is fairly normal and is how a novice might fiddle with cards.

That was the point of the post, however with all the great responses here, I think she's put to bed!

The alignment move was awkward for me, as well at first. The thing I've come to realize, is, when doing any kind of "move" like that, it's best to obtain eye contact at the moment, sort of an "off-beat", and when removing the "double", it sweeps with one move..."not the top, OR middle..."...

The beginning is NOT a DL...it is a "Double Push-Off"...I forget who came up with that...

CM is great, performed as directed...I wouldn't change it!

Doug

I too have perfomed this effect for almost 20 years. NEVER had anyone call me on the Christ alignment. Just the color changing cards that must work with the heat from your hands....

Max

Jay Sankey's version called X's and O's from "Jay Sankey Live" I think is the best version of this effect. The ending makes a more dramatic surprise than the original Color Monte. Incredible thinking by Jay.

You know what else about this? It's not so much that move, or the double push off, or any other move. The more I've done it over the years, the more I realize that after one or two reveals of the blue diamond (or whatever the "money" card is), most people stare intently at the cards, hoping to catch something funny. No matter how you direct attention, they just *know* something is going on, but they can't find out what.

And that funky move just kinda flies by, because it's not so absurd as to attract attention as being something totally unnatural, and with the pacing and timing of the routine, by the time it all really registers in their minds, you have the finale, and (most adults, anyway) see there are only three, fully examinable cards, and figure you were doing something "funny", but they were so entertained and fooled with such simplicity, they just let it go with a good laugh.