I have been working on an ACAAN for a while that I'm thinking of releasing and would like to give out review copies for a few cafe members to give feedback and also to give their honest review when released. I am wrapping up filming/editing a performance and explanation this week and could send out review copies by this weekend or early next week. Please PM me if you are interested.

A little info on this routine:

The plot is inspired by Philip K. Dick's story 'The Adjustment Team' and its film adaptation, 'The Adjustment Bureau.' The performer describes the shadowy organization from the story that specializes in manipulating cause and effect, predicting the decisions people will make and using this information to alter their path in life. By anticipating these choices, the organization sets specific events into motion that subtly 'adjust' a person's path in life, ensuring they end up exactly where the organization wants them.

The performer will attempt to do something similar with the spectator and presents a normal pack of cards laying on the table that the performer will never touch throughout the performance. The spectator chooses a random card and comes up with a random number. The performer explains that the odds of these choices leading to their chosen card in the deck are astronomical. It just won't happen unless they put in motion the necessary "adjustment". Before the spectator is even done making their choices or reveals them to anyone, the performer writes down an adjustment number, that when later combined with the spectator's number leads to the position of their selected card.


- Extremely easy to do
- No sleights
- No peaks
- No mental math
- Completely normal deck, can be used for other tricks afterwards
- The card is a completely free choice, no forces. They also truly just think of the card, there isn't some awkward process involving them handling the cards.
- The number is derived from truly random choices by the spectator and these choices are not influenced by the performer.
- The performer never touches the deck, ever.
- There are no outs, the trick will play out the same way every time.
- Their card can genuinely be anywhere in the deck. It could be the bottom card, it could be the top card, it could be the 5th, the 29th, the 41st, etc. It could end up being anywhere.
- The deck can be inspected if you do a quick shuffle before handing it out. There is an arrangement that they'd likely notice, but otherwise it is a completely normal deck.
- The performer truly doesn't know the spectator's card or number until the end.

Is the method based on the binary procedure you describe on this thread?

No, it's something very different.

Performance video: https://youtu.be/R4FYlOaxhJ4?si=wOLnrP7Q09JjgaGK

The adjustment number that the performer writes down before either the card or random number are revealed is the only adjustment the performer makes. Nothing else will be done. No additional calculations or even deck manipulation, nothing. You will simply add the digits of the random numbers come up with by the spectator. There are no additional outs, ever.

Very nice! Are you going to market this?

Yup! Sent out a few review copies to a few cafe members and have submitted it to Murphys. So hopefully by the end of next week.

I'll just say that you tap into an interesting quirk in the universe that kinda does the work for you. ;-)

Hi Brad,

Nice performance. Thanks.

I don't think it's the right place to discuss methodd and maybe you'd like to move this thread to the Secret Sessions.

Anyway, I like the idea very much and it dawned on me that the methodology of an effect developed by Thomas Henry, The Oracle of Pythagoras, would fit very well here. No calculator is necessary.

See snapshot of an app I developed (with Thomas Henry's permission) that automates some calculations:

[CHOICE]
In essence: A spectator keys in any word (9-letter long max) that has meaning for them. In the example I chose FREE WILL. The transliteration from letters to numeric values is automatic.

[CHANCE]
The spectator then randomly taps on the (red) digits to generate a CHANCE number.

[SYNTHESIS]
The difference between the two numbers and its numerical root is calculated automatically.

The root, ie the spectator's personal number, could then be used in your effect.

I think it could fit very well with your script.

If you're interested, contact Thomas Henry, the author of the effect, for more information about the paper/pencil version.