Good day one and all,

Not sure if this is the place to be posting this or not but having read the intro post it appears to fit reasonably well (I figure the worst that can happen is someone shouts at me and moves it to a more suitable place lol).

Anyway I have created a routine that I am looking to develop, but before I do I would like to ask the collected wisdom of the site if a) I haven't really created anything and somebody else is already doing this better than I could hope to and b) if this is a boring premise that would never be of interest to any spectator and I should go back to the presentational drawing board. Here goes....

I tell the spectator that thinking of their card is easy, after all I am a magician, but what would really be a feat is if I could teach them to think of a card I pick from the deck. Spectator holds the deck and I choose a card. I turn around to have a secret peak and then hold the card behind my back so that they cannot see it. So I have picked a card and have it out of the spectators view. Patter continues "I want to break this down into 3 steps. The first thing I want you to do is imagine the value of the card, be it Ace, 2, 3, 6, 7, 9 whatever it happens to be or a picture card jack, queen etc. Empty your head, now give me the first value that comes to you." Spectator does just that. "Okay now the second step I want you to try is picking the colour of the suit. Now I have used a blue backed deck so that you won't think I am trying to influence you with a more traditional red backed deck" bring card into view to show the blue back and then return to position behind back. "Totally free choice between red or black suit, empty your head for me again and now give me the your first choice", spectator does just that. "Final choice is obviously between hearts/diamonds or clubs/spades (depending on previous choice) this is the final decision so think carefully and picture the suit in your mind" stare intently at spectator "give me your final choice". Spectator does just that and you bring card around and hand it to them. They turn it over to reveal the card they have reached through their deduction.

I suppose the thing I am most concerned with is do I need to oversell this more by highlighting the fact that I am leading them to the final revelation or is a simpler/quicker/more direct set of instructions the way ahead. For presentational context the choice is in reality completely free and the card is revealed instantly upon them revealing the name.

Other option is that they are close, for example they say ace of hearts and I hand them ace of diamonds, for the ace of hearts to be the only card in a card box in my back pocket, again can be removed from back pocket as soon as they have the other card in their hand. Obviously the previous presentation is more of a mentalism presentation and this one is possibly more of the magician type (not looking to start debate on magic vs mentalism).

All advice/votes/pointers taken on board very gratefully.

Many thanks and kindest regards,

Ricardini.

I like the routine a lot! It's a premise I think is worth a lot of attention (making the spectator read your mind kind of thing) I'm just curious, would your method work with this idea: Instead of having the card behind the back, put the card you pick face down on the table (or in their hands) and take the rest of the deck behind your back? Then after the patter, you bring the deck from behind your back, and show that your prediction card matches what they said?
Hmm, the more I think about it, just having one card behind the back, and no use of a DL probably looks a lot cleaner. I just am trying to think of a way you could do it with your prediction card in sight!

Hi there Biggen,

Many thanks for your comments mate. Unfortunatley the method will not allow for the card being in sight. I have built the method/routine based on the thoughts that me turning around fully and showing my back when I peek at the card I have chosen (spectator fans deck so clearly only one card taken) combined with the instant reveal when they pick the suit (either method: card they pick or close to it with the card they pick being the only one in a card box in my back pocket is instant) and no visible moves being required at all makes it as clean looking as a card in view the whole time with a move to change it. The card in sight with no move would obviously be the holy grail but if we could come up with that I wouldn't need to work again lol!

Always different schools of thought and I just felt that the card behind the back as a way of ensuring the spectator doesn't get sight of it was more natural than a box on a table with a folded card tipped out or something similar (though there are many great tricks which employ those methods) especially if you are standing up (which in honesty my method suits better).

Thanks again for your comments mate, all thoughts help in development of this trick at this stage.

No problem, I love bouncing around different ideas! I agree, it would look better to just present the card instantly (or the other outcome) fro behind the back, rather than to do a suspicious move. It sounds like a great effect!

Since 05 I have done an effect (might been shown by Richard Bloch. Spectator picks card..shuffles cuts etc..and then.. I pull what I think is his card and put it face down, on the table. I ask the spectator to guess which card I am thinking of and he puts it face down on the table. By the way he names his card, and I name my card prior to the cards being turned over. We are both correct.

Would that work in your effect?

Harris

Howdy Harris,

That sounds like a good effect. To answer your question though that would not work for my idea, the spectator never physically picks any card in my trick, they only name it. With the method I have in place the closest I could get is handing them the card prior to the revelation of the suit and essentially having a 50/50 shot with the card either being the right one or the corresponding suit of that colour. In this instance as I said the card they have named would be the only one in a card box in my pocket.

Obviously the holy grail would be to pick a card and give it to them for them to name out loud but if I could do that I wouldn't need a magic accessories supplier, lol.

Thanks for your thoughts though and love the sound of your trick, obviously I wouldn't discuss methods out here but I have sent you a PM with a question on your effect.

Cheers.