INDIAN MAGIC

LEARN MAGIC TRICKS
Mental Magic Collection

LIST OF MENTAL MAGIC ARTICLES

REQUIREMENT: A pack of ESP cards (from any magic dealer) stacked in standard ESP order.

PRESENTATION: Casually fan the pack up in your hand without exposing cyclic order of the cards. Tell the close-up  audience - "Here you have a pack of symbol cards that you will use in this experiment." Close the pack, turn t face down, cut the pack several times apparently mixing the same. While you request the person sitting opposite to you at the table to participate  in the experiment.

Place the pack face down on the table. Ask the spectator to cut the pack, complete same. This being done, square up the pack. then ask the  spectator either to pick up the top card  or  pull out face card of the pack, place it face down in front of himself without looking at it. After spectator has done so, pick up the rest of the pack in your hand.

Next deal top 8 cards of the pack in a face down pile to your left. Deal next 8 cards in a face down pile to the right of the first pile. Deal remaining 8 cards in a third face down pile to your extreme right. Ask the spectator to pick up either of the two extreme packets; you then pick up the other one, original middle packet is left on the table.

Next ask the spectator to turn his packet face up, deal a card from the face onto the table. Spectator doing so, deal a card from top of your face down packet upon his face up card. Both of you repeat the same business 7 times more,  so that 8 pairs of face up-face down  cards are placed in a row on the table. Turn face down card in each pair face up, spread each pair; a single pair of cards is found to be matching one, say PLUS - PLUS.  Place  aside other 7 odd pairs of cards.

Next pick up original middle packet of 8 cards in your hand. Deal top 4 cards in front of the spectator. Ask him to pick up this packet, hold it face up in his hand. You do also turn packet of 4 cards in your hand face up. both you and spectator then go on alternatively dealing cards in face up pairs on the table and there comes the surprise - a single pair of cards out of four is found to be a matching pair, again this is found to be PLUS - PLUS !  Look surprised, pause for a while, then turn spectator's original selected card face up and there comes further surprise - this is also found to be a PLUS card ! Look doubly surprised, conclude telling the spectator, this experiment proves the fact that he really possess an uncanny psychic power!

Note: Above trick was originally published in October '99 issue of JADU, a quarterly Bengali Magic Magazine published by CHANDERNAGORE JADUKAR CHAKRA, India's oldest and largest magician's club. Magician SOMEERAN is the Resident Lecturer of CJC. --- ARUN BONERJEE (Vice President, CJC)

SET UP: Write down the following chart on paper:
 

Memorize the chart, which is quite easy to do as you can memorize it as A) O-O-O, B) O-E-E, C) E-E-E, D) E-O-O. Save the chart for future reference. Next place 40 matchsticks in a box and keep that matchbox in your pocket.

PRESENTATION: Tip out the matchsticks on the table. Tell the close-up viewers you will use the matchsticks in a novel experiment. Then tell someone, after you turn your back to the table, he has to pick up a bunch of matchsticks at random, drop them into the matchbox and close it again, leaving it on the table. In no case gentleman should know how many matchsticks he has placed in the box. After that, he should ask you to face front.

The spectator carries out your instructions, then asks you to face front. As you do so pick up matchbox and hand it over to the spectator. Ask him to shake the box well, then state whether he feels the matchbox contains an even or odd number of matchsticks. Shaking the box, let us say the spectator says 'even'. Express your surprise, telling others it seems that this gentleman has a strong thinking power! Then ask the spectator to remember he said  'even'. Take back matchbox and place it aside.

Next, tell the spectator you will again turn your back to the table. He must now distribute the pile of matchsticks into smaller piles at random, placing them far apart (do so yourself, distributing matchsticks into six piles at random, placing them apart). Then he should quietly count the matchsticks in each pile. remembering he said 'even', he has to then pick up those piles containing odd numbers of matchsticks, drop them in his pocket. Thus, the piles containing even numbers of matchsticks should be left on the table. After that you should  be asked to fae front. Explaining as you demonstrate the procedure in detail, gather up the matchsticks in a pile, leave it in the center of the table as you turn your back to all.

The spectator carries your instructions, then asks you to face front. As you do so remember 'even', the spectator's guess about the matchbox's contents. (If he said 'odd', then you would remember 'odd'). Let's say you find there is an even number of pile of matchsticks left on the table. Facing front quickly note whether there is an odd or even number of piles of matchsticks left on the table. So remember EVEN-EVEN. quickly spread the matchsticks in the pile, apparently make a fast count, but actually do nothing. Gather up all the matchsticks together, leave them in a pile. Pick up the matchbox and shake it well apparently listening to the rattling sound of the matchsticks in the box. actually while doing so, remembering  EVEN-EVEN, mentally go through your memorized chart and decide the matchbox contains an even number of matchsticks (OE).
then enthusiastically tell the spectator, he does really possess strong thinking power, as the matchbox truly contains an even number of matchsticks! (If spectator was wrong in his guess work, tell him that he possesses a very weak thinking power). Tip out the matchsticks on the table and let the close-up viewers openly count them. Surely they will be surprised to note that your deviation is correct! Smilingly congratulate the participating spectator for possessing strong thinking power, which will help him achieve success in life! Alternatively if he guessed wrong then, in mock seriousness, ask him to develop his thinking power, in order to achieve success in life!

SPECIAL CASE:

If there is no pile on the table, then think of ZERO which is EVEN.

(REF:
Above is my version for the classic oddity with numbers. I read it in Feb-March 2000 issue of MAGICANA, contributed by Mr. Ron Gilbert, using a pack of cards. The use of matchsticks makes the trick more intriguing and also takes it away from being 'just another' card trick. Hope you like it. -- Arun Bonerjee. )

Note :  This article was published in the April 2000 issue of 'The Orbit', the Official Newsletter of The Mahatma Magic Circle, Liverpool (UK).