HEIRLOOM
REDUX
Mark Elsdon
Heirloom Redux
Mark Elsdon
Effect:
A spectator successfully guesses/intuits/deduces (delete as appropriate) the
identity of the lucky playing card held by your uncle Max in an old photo.
Occasionally, the spectators guess is just slightly off, but you show that you
knew that this would be the case by having predicted it.
Explanation & comments:
Despite the fact that I know what a great trick the original Heirloom is, I
found that I just wasnt performing it. The reason was that for me the number of
photos I had to carry in my wallet was just too many, particularly since my
wallet is a Stealth Assassin. In fact, Heirloom Redux will work with any
wallet.
So I developed the following handling which reduces the number of photos
needed to just four - the four Queens. Picture cards are forced using a neat bit
of magicians choice/equivoque very similar in feel to that which Eugene Burger
uses in his wonderful Thought Sender routine. Using just the four Queens, any
of the 12 picture cards can be shown to have been predicted.
The equivoque is used to control the very first choice made and the subsequent
choices are totally free and follow the pattern established by that first
choice. This makes it seem that the whole selection process is not only
consistent, but completely fair.
The four Queens are hidden in my Stealth Assassin wallet in a known order
(CHaSeD). Of course, any wallet will work. The off-by-one out is used, but in a
slightly more English-friendly version: The back of each photograph bears the
message: I PREDICT YOU WILL BE ONE OFF...
The essence of this trick is the script and the script I am providing here is
designed to force one of the Queens. I use an introduction which sets up the one
off prediction as a call-back, should I need it at the end. Here then is the
introduction:
What you dont know about me is that my fascination with mind-reading
/magic/gambling (delete as appropriate) comes from my great uncle Max, who was
an obsessive gambler. No matter what the game, or what the odds, if his lucky
card was in play he simply had to bet on it. In fact, I have in my wallet here an
old photo of my uncle Max, in happier times, holding his lucky card.
Now obviously, Im not expecting you to try and guess what that card was, since
thats all it would be – a guess. In fact before we get to the card, lets try a
little test to see how in tune you and I are mentally. I am thinking of a number
between one and twenty. Just concentrate and tell me what you think it is.
At this point they tell you a number. Lets say they say, Eighteen. You continue:
Ah, no, I was thinking of Nineteen actually, but that is still a very good
result. You were only one off, you know you could have thought of Two or Three
and been miles off, but you didnt - you were just one off. You almost got it!
All you are doing here to set up the one off call-back should you need it at the
end of the trick is telling them a number either one higher or lower than they
name. In the above example they said Eighteen, so I said my number was Nineteen.
Had they said Four, I would have told them that my number was Three. Whatever
they say, you simply claim a number one higher or one lower.
At this point I remove my wallet and hold it in my hands for the rest of the
performance.
For the rest of the script I have numbered the steps to make it easier to follow.
Any required emphasis is in italics:
1. So, to decide which one card was my Uncle Maxs lucky card, we have to
eliminate 51 others.
Lets start the process now...
When I snap my fingers, simply call out Pictures or Spots.
At this point the script follows one of two paths – one which focuses on
choosing, whilst the other focuses on eliminating. This initial choice is the
only one which matters and ensures that they will end up with a picture card.
Also notice how in the opening two lines I use the words process and
elimination, but never explain what that process is going to be.
(Snap)
If they say Pictures you continue,
2a. Excellent, good choice - his lucky card was a picture card! But which of
the picture cards? Ill snap my fingers again and you choose either Reds
or Blacks.
(Snap)
2aa. If they say Reds: Good choice! His lucky card was a red one! But do you
want the Hearts or the Diamonds?
(Snap)
2aaa. If they say Hearts: Good choice! His lucky card was a Heart! Last choice -
do you think my Uncle Maxs lucky card was the Jack, the Queen or the King
of Hearts?
Remove the Queen of Hearts.
Or…
2aa. If they say Reds: Good choice! His lucky card was a red one! But do you
want the Hearts or the Diamonds?
(Snap)
2aab. If they say Diamonds: Good choice! His lucky card was a Diamond! Last
choice - do you think my Uncle Maxs lucky card was the Jack, the Queen or
the King of Diamonds?
Remove the Queen of Diamonds.
Or…
2ab. If they say Blacks: Good choice! His lucky card was a black one! But do you
want the Clubs or the Spades?
(Snap)
2aba. If they say Clubs: Good choice! His lucky card was a Club! Last choice - do
you think my Uncle Maxs lucky card was the Jack, the Queen or the King of
Clubs?
Remove the Queen of Clubs.
Or…
2ab. If they say Blacks: Good choice! His lucky card was a black one! But do you
want the Clubs or the Spades?
(Snap)
2abb. If they say Spades: Good choice! His lucky card was a Spade! Last choice -
do you think my Uncle Maxs lucky card was the Jack, the Queen or the King
of Spades?
Remove the Queen of Spades.
However, if at Step 1 they say Spots you continue,
2b. Excellent - the spot cards are eliminated! So we are left with all the
pictures, but we need to get rid of half of them now. When I snap my
fingers again well eliminate either all the Black pictures or all the
Reds.
(Snap)
2ba. If they say Blacks: Blacks are eliminated! That just leaves the Reds. What
next, should we get rid of the Hearts or the Diamonds?
(Snap)
2baa. If they say Hearts: Hearts are gone! That leaves just three cards, three
Diamonds. Last choice - do you think my Uncle Maxs lucky card was the
Jack, the Queen or the King of Diamonds?
Remove the Queen of Diamonds.
Or…
2ba. If they say Blacks: Blacks are eliminated! That just leaves the Reds. What
next, should we get rid of the Hearts or the Diamonds?
(Snap)
2bab. If they say Diamonds: Diamonds are gone! That leaves just three cards,
three Hearts. Last choice - do you think my Uncle Maxs lucky card was the
Jack, the Queen or the King of Hearts?
Remove the Queen of Hearts.
Or…
2bb. If they say Reds: Reds are eliminated! That just leaves the Blacks. What
next, should we get rid of the Clubs or the Spades?
(Snap)
2bba. If they say Clubs: Clubs are gone! That leaves just three cards, three
Spades. Last choice - do you think my Uncle Maxs lucky card was the Jack,
the Queen or the King of Spades?
Remove the Queen of Spades.
Or…
2bb. If they say Reds: Reds are eliminated! That just leaves the Blacks. What
next, should we get rid of the Clubs or the Spades?
(Snap)
2bbb. If they say Spades: Spades are gone! That leaves just three cards, three
Clubs. Last choice - do you think my Uncle Maxs lucky card was the Jack,
the Queen or the King of Clubs?
Remove the Queen of Clubs.
When I perform this effect I usually ask a woman to be the participant, simply
because experience has shown that over 90% of the time she will name the Queen
as her final choice. When this is the case, simply remove the correct photo from
the wallet and ask her to verify the identity of the lucky card that uncle Max
is holding.
If the participant (of whatever sex!) chooses the Jack or King have them
identify the card in the photo, then say:
Well done, out of 52 possible choices you were only one off! In fact, just like
the number at the beginning when you were one off and thought of Eighteen
when I was thinking of Nineteen. In fact I had a feeling that this might
happen... Turn over the photo and read what it says on the back...
Either ending to the trick is very strong and I genuinely have no preference
for either.
Obviously, during performance, only one of the above choices will be made, so
whilst it has taken me a few pages to describe the various possibilities, it
only takes half a minute or so in performance.
Notice how, after the initial choice (the only one the spectator has, in fact) to
choose or eliminate, every subsequent decision follows the same path. One of the
inherent weaknesses in many Equivoque effects is that there is no consistent
procedure and that it is glaringly obvious to the spectators that this is the
case. Here, though, the initial choice effectively decides all the others as well.
Part of the strength of this routine is the family history/personal fantasy
that you build into the presentation. The more believable the story, the more
powerful the effect.
Background:
Building on Kenton Kneppers work with his Kolossal Killer trick, Jamie Badman
and Colin Miller devised the original Heirloom effect. Alakazam Magic bought
the rights to their effect and released it in 2003. Subsequently, in 2006
Badman & Miller released an ebook titled The Legacy which contains a ton of
tips, presentational alternatives and extra effects. The same year Alakazam
released the Heirloom Bonus pack, with lots of extra photos and new effects,
including an early version of Heirloom Redux. Both of these 2006 releases are
recommended reading for students of the Heirloom effect.
On the following page you will find all four photos needed for Heirloom Redux.
You need to print them out on photo paper and cut them to size.
Copyright © 2009 by Mark Elsdon. All Rights Reserved.
