I've learned several packet tricks and was wondering if anyone has noticed that you show the same face card more than once in tricks like Reset or Jumping Gemini? Is there a preference for which suits to show more than once? I haven't been caught yet but its just one of those things that I'm wary of in the back of my head as I do the move.

Itll happen, but very very rarely.

I get caught once out of every lke 2,000 times (or once out of every 10,000.... something like that)

what I'm saying is, don't worry about it.

one trick is that you start the elmsly or whatnot with the packet necktied, so by the time the cards ome clearly into veiw your already on the second card.

theres many ways to cover it, but don't worry so much about it, its almost a non issue

Well, in Jumping Gemini you are presenting one card as four a couple of times so the final change to "four" kings is such a surprise they're unlikely to be too discriminating.

In Reset, and tricks where there is more focus on the two as four type display it is an issue, esp. with people who play Bridge. The best way to handle it is to casually cover part of the indexes as you handle the cards. A right handed person would "accidentally" cover the outer index with the left thumbtip and flip the cards by holding them at the inner right corner, "accidentally" covering that index too. A quick, but not hurried display should be enough to guard against anyone noticing.

Key point to remember is that they're looking for their card, not any other card.

Your danger points are if their card is a three of diamonds, and the card you show twice is a four of diamonds, which causes them to do a double take and think "that's not it, it's the four of diamonds".....then when they see it again they remember it.

The way around this is timing, you give them just enough time to look at the card, but not enough time to see what it really is and have it sink in.

You've got to keep them focused on looking for their card.

Also, it helps to call out the colour of the cards - black red black red.

My preference for double showing is diamond. With not showing hearts

Especially in Jumping Gemini, it wouldn't be a problem even if audience notice there are two KSs and two KDs. Before showing them, you had shown four same cards. So showing two same two picture cards can be an effect. Why four picture cards must be four different Kings?

Hideo Kato

Actually, I think it would take away form the trick.

the idea is that the four or two jumps to the top in amazing ways, then , just when they thik they understand, the cards are all shown to be 10s, then, you show you only ever had the four kings.

if its percieved diffrently I'm not sure the effect is as stronge...

I try to keep the spade as invisible as possible, especially if its an ace...the red cards aren't the worry but just the black ace of spades is the only one to worry about.

Of course it is far better if audience believed there are four different Kings. I only would like to say it is not a problem that they notice there are two KSs and Two KDs.

Hideo Kato

In my limited experience of performing magic on an amateur level, I have found the following:

In Jumping Gemini, and similar effects where the kicker uses the Gemini Count to show two cards twice, the spectator will never catch the double show, because the surprise factor of the kicker will leave the spectator completely vulnerable. Darwin Ortiz mentions this very fact in At The Card Table. I can assure you that it's true. The spectator will be so surprised to see the first king that he/she will never bother to count the suits. I have never been caught on the double show in a Gemini Count.

If you're doing a trick (such as Brother John Hamman's Signed Card) that requires that you show a card twice in the beginning, such as showing three aces as four (e.g., AD,AS,AC,AD, doubling the AD), I always find it a good idea to perform a four ace trick first to psychologically burn in the fact that you have all four suits present. In this way, the spectator already knows that they four aces are in play before the dirty work begins.

Personally, I prefer to show a diamond twice. If I need to show two cards twice in a Gemini Count, then I usually use Spades+Diamond OR Heart+Club.

The Ace of Spades is so prominent, you would always want to avoid doubling it (unless a specific effect requires it). I typically double up on the Ace of Diamonds (for tricks that use Aces, such as Reset). One of the reasons a lot of tricks use Jokers is that they all look the same, so an Elmsley Count (or any other count, for that matter) is much esaier to pull off because you don't have to be subconscious that someone's going to say, "Hey, that was the same Joker twice!"

I added a similar post in the Jumping Gemini thread. I had never been caught doing Jumping Gemini (or at least nobody brought it to my attention), however I still felt neverous performing the effect.



Yes, but therein lies the dilemma. It's not a matter of seeing four kings, but seeing only four different cards, which would lead discerning spectators to the only (and correct) conclusion.

Like I said, this is the trick where I'm afraid I'll get caught with my hand in the cookie jar. I'm due. But those cookies are so *** good!

I cannot assure you enough that the double show of the Gemini Count will go unnoticed. If you can get through the shows of the 2's and 10's smoothly and entertainingly, the Gemini Count is the simplest part of the trick!
If you're nervous about it, just do it a few times for people, and you'll see what I'm talking about!

At the Magic Castle for Sunday brunch once I saw a junior member in the Close-Up Gallery performing a routine involving the four aces.

After the performance, as we were leaving, I mentioned to him that a face-up Elmsley with the aces should show a red ace twice, not a black ace. The spectators will not notice that they saw an ace of diamonds twice or an ace of hearts twice, but they will notice two aces of Spades, or no ace of spades.

His reply was that he showed all four aces, once each.

Sigh.

That's absolutely right. It is an unavoidable problem after we do our best to avoid the problem. Then we should not wory about that unavoidable problem. The real problem is to find a method to avoid the problem as much as possible. I think showing the last two Kings almost simultaneously is one of the solutions.

Hideo Kato

Without trying to sound like an amateur psychologist, you hit the nail on the head with your question - "I'm wary of the move in the back of my head as I do the move".
This can often subliminally give off the impression that something has, or, is just about to happen. Also, the problem obviously is most common when you are about to perform a challenging sleight and therefore compounds the issue. The only ways around this are to get so comfortable with the routine that you can do it without thinking and then try and fool your brain into thinking you are 'doing' what you are pretending to 'do', which is no easy task.

Another thought is to not go with common wisdom and perform counts and displays in a set rhythm, but to break it up a little.

Failing that, an engaging comment around the timing of the sleight serves as distraction, especially, as has been pointed out above, if the spectator is involved in watching for other aspects of an effect such as looking to see if their card has appeared.

In David Regal's "Cheating" (Star Quality and his first video) the KC and the KH are each shown twice. The fourth time the king is shown, it is displayed with the pips covered by both hands. As you show each king you make sure they get just a flash of it. I've done it that way for years and never got caught.

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Posted 7:35 Jan. 4, 2006:
Covering the pips as you show a card twice is described in Jumping Gemini in Ortiz's At the Card Table.