David Gemmell - 51 For Two

51 for Two
A solution for the classic Open Prediction / 51 Faces North effect
By
David Gemmell
A Possible Dealers Ad.....
Any deck may be used. Borrowed if you wish. The deck need not be complete. You don't need to
know how many or what cards are missing. You only have to be sure the card predicted is there.
There is no pre-setting of the cards. The deck is never out of sight. The prediction must be made
open (ly) before the dealing begins.
You have no idea where the card will be in the deck. They deal through the deck, turning each card
face up. At one point they deal a card face down. The face down card (hopefully) matches the open
prediction made before the dealing.
The spectator turns the face down card over to bring the effect to its climax.
The above is almost word for word the restrictions that were laid down by Stewart James in his
quest for the perfect handling for the Unsolved Card Problem belonging to Paul Curry.
Add to that, the handling that follows not only complies with Stewart's restrictions, but from start to
finish, you never even touch the cards. All you do is guide the helpers and provide the magic.
David Gemmell
July 2009
An all too brief history
Paul Curry conceived the idea for this effect sometime in the 1940's. At the time he had no
workable method for achieving the effect.
Ed Marlo got wind of this sometime in 1949 and published a method in the Cardician 1953.
Stewart James and Howard Lyons corresponded on this subject in 1953.
Stewart James contributed several methods to IBIDEM in the early years of its run. This is where SJ
first laid down the (almost) impossible conditions for the effect dubbing his idea as 51 Faces North.
Jon Racherbaumer launched the Hierophant magazine in 1969 with a treatise on the Open
Prediction by Ed Marlo.
Karl Fulves approached the Open Prediction / 51 Faces North problem in the late 1970's.
And more recently,
Thomas Baxter released the OP Project.
All in all there have been many, many version's of this classic. Only a handful meet the exacting
condition's and restrictions that both Paul Curry and Stewart James placed upon the effect.
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The basic effect

A prediction is made known to all (open....) and a spectator deals through a deck of cards stud
fashion. At some point in the deal, one card is dealt face down either to one side or in the pile. This
is followed by the talon being stud dealt until the spectator has run out of cards. At this point the
face down card is shown to match the Open Prediction made at the beginning of the effect.
Modus Operandi
This handling relies on the careful management of two well known forces. Begin by having the
deck shuffled. You at no point touch the cards. Ask spectator one (S1) to give the cards a complete
cut. If S1 is satisfied that the deck is completely mixed, have them turn the top card face up and
make a mental note of it. For the purposes of this MO we'll assume the card S1 looks at is the AS.
N.B when performing this, have the two spectators away from each other, say on opposite sides of
the table.
With the AS still face up on top of the deck, have S1 cut about a quarter of the cards and flip them
over 180 degrees, dropping them back on top. Now have them cut about half the cards, flip them
and drop back on top. One more cut and flip, this time have them cut three-quarters. At this point
there will be a portion of cards face up followed by the talon face down. Have them spread off all
the face up cards, turn them face down and drop the on the table. Drop the rest of the cards in the
hand on top of the tabled cards.
The above action is an extended use of the Cut-deeper force. Following the actions will leave the
cards noted (AS) on top of the deck.
Whilst these actions are being carried out by S1, you ask spectator two (S2) to think of a number
between 10-20. Ask S1 to pass the deck over to S2. They pick up the deck and deal off a number of
cards equal to the number they are thinking of.
It is important to note that at this stage you do not need to know S1's card or S2's number.
When S2 has dealt their number have them place the talon to one side for a minute. Explain to them
that we really want to “randomize” things. So, ask them to add together the two digits of their
(secret) number. When they have done that have them pick up the small packet and deal that new
(single) number back on top of the deck.
i.e. If they thought of thirteen, they deal off thirteen cards, then add the one to the three to get four.
They deal four card back on top of the talon.
Ask S2 to have a look at the top card of the deck and remember it. When they have done that they
are to drop the cards left in their hand on top of the selection. S2 can now cut the cards any number
of times they wish. (Complete cuts).
What's happened here is (I think) a clever way of using the Count-back force to position S1's noted
card above S2's card.
At this point the deck is passed back to S1. The Open Prediction is made by S2 calling out the
name of the card they noted.
This is the first time that everyone will hear the name of the predicted card. It is called out before
the deal through begins.
S1 is asked to stud deal through the cards from the top. They are to stop when they (S1) see the
prediction card OR if S1's card shows up.
(S1's card will show up first it's above the Open Prediction of S2's)
When S1 reaches their card tell them to stop the deal, the next card is to be dealt off to one side
(face down). Continue the stud deal with the rest of the deck.
The Big Finish

Ask S2 to once again call out the name of the card they noted. Have them turn the face down card
over for all to see. It matches the Open Prediction, accept the well earned thunderous applause.
N.B When S1 notes their card, they can write on it with a marker “Stop Here” so that everyone
knows when to stop the deal. They deal the next card (the Open Prediction) face down and then
carry on with the stud deal. This is in keeping with SJ's conditions.
The End.....?
Credits and References
Paul Curry
Open Prediction
Stewart James
51 Faces North
J.K Hartman
His inspired use of the cut-deeper force in the James file
Al Leech
Al was one of the first people I read that used the cut-deeper force in this manner
I was / have been using this effect very successfully for sometime before I realised that it may
indeed fulfil all of the conditions that SJ had laid out so many years ago. It was only after a friend
Andrew Brown sent me his version of the effect that I dug out this handling to send him.
While reviewing the handling I thought I'd send it to a few other friends to get their opinions as well
as my good friend Peter Duffie to check and see if I was right in my assumptions.
I do feel that, to get the most out of this effect you need to be able to convey the impossible
conditions within the presentation of the effect. Time well spent on this will garner you a well
deserved reputation of a miracle worker!
Have fun. Share the Magic!!

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What effect is being described in the document?

What are some of the restrictions placed on the effect by Paul Curry and Stewart James?

51 for Two

A solution for the classic Open Prediction / 51 Faces North effect

Stewart James and Howard Lyons corresponded on this subject in 1953.

And more recently,

Thomas Baxter released the OP Project.

The basic effect

The Big Finish

Have fun. Share the Magic!!

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