Welcome!

Thanks for purchasing “Card Sampler”. In this eBook you’ll find a neat sampling of five great
close-up effects from five of my favorite previous publications, which I sincerely hope that you’ll
enjoy and use.

As a bonus, I’ve also included a never before published effect for you to check out.

If you’d like more information about where the effects came from originally, please check out
my website, gelasimagic.weebly.com.

Thanks again and best wishes,

John Gelasi

July 2012
 Uproarious – From “Fit for Kings, Too!”
Effect: Four jokers turn into the four kings one-by-one! One king is then set aside, and
the other kings are visually transformed into the cards to create a royal flush with the
saved king!

Watch a video demo here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pN5jAaPHS-Y

Setup: Remove a packet of cards and set them in this order, from the face:

Joker, KD, KC, KS, Joker

On top of the facedown deck, set these cards in the following order:

10D, JD, QD, AD

Method:

1. Show the packet as containing all jokers by using a variation on the Flushtration count,
which shows the faces of two cards instead of one.
a. Rotate the packet face up as in a normal Flushtration count to show the face of a
Joker (Figure 1).

1
b. Rotate the hand palm down and draw the top card of the packet into your other
hand. (Figure 2)
 2
c. Flash the faces of the cards in both hands as in Figure 3.

3
d. Repeat, and continue in this fashion (Figure 4) until you have peeled three cards and
now have a double left in your left hand. Place these two cards as one, on top of all
to complete the count. You have apparently shown four Jokers.

4
2. Casually remove the second from top card and move it to the top of the face down
packet.
3. Snap your fingers, flip the packet face up, and Elmsley count to show that one of the
Jokers has turned into a King.
4. After a second magical gesture, hold the packet from above in Biddle grip, and peel
three cards off the top, holding the last two as one (the cards are held in a fan-like
spread) to show a second king. Transfer the double underneath the other 3 cards.
 5. Re-grip the packet in dealers grip again, snap or wave, and draw out the bottom card of
the packet and transfer it to the face to show a third king appears (Figure 5 and 6).

5 6

6. Soon after this, Elmsley count to show that all four kings are now in the packet (the KD
will be seen twice).
7. Remove the king of diamonds from the face of the packet and hand it to a spectator.
Under the guise of having them examine it, pick up the deck and obtain a break under
the top four cards of the deck. Hold the break with your pinky.
8. Pick up the remaining cards of the “king” packet on the table, face up, and rest them on
the deck. You now hold a break bellow eight cards. At this point, you perform any color
change you wish (pivot change, Shapeshifter, or Paul Harris’s “Splat” change work well
here) to transform the kings into the other flush cards.
9. Fairly deal the flush cards on the table for a great ending. All the cards are of course
inspectable.

Credits: Dave Forrest’s “Queekers” was the main inspiration for this effect, however the effect
and presentation is entirely different from his routine.

My first attempt to vary this routine came a few months back with a routine called “Royal
Jokesters”. The streamlined version of “Royal Jokesters” became “Uproarious”.
 Slider- From “Business as Usual”

Effect: One of the performer's misprinted business cards is shown, where the photo on
the card has been printed in the center, covering text, rather than on the side. The card
is shaken, causing the photo to visually "slide" into its correct position! The card may be
kept as a souvenir.
The souvenir: A normal business card that used to be misprinted. Your spectator will be
desperately trying to move the picture around the second you let him/her keep the
card!

Setup: You require a stack of your normal business cards, plus one “misprinted” card.
Figure 1 shows what the misprinted card should look like. The photo on this card has
been placed in the wrong position. This type of card can be easily created if you make
your own business cards, or just as easily made by request if you have a company print
your cards for you.

Misprinted card

Normal card

1
Setup (continued): In your stack of normal business cards, have all of the cards facing in
one direction, but have the top card of the stack upside down. This will make it so that
the orientation of the card doesn’t appear to change during the color change that you
will perform in the routine.

Have the misprinted card on the face of the stack of business cards. Put a rubber band
around all of your cards and place them in your pocket.

Method:

1. Explain that you’d like to leave your spectator with one of your business cards.
Reach into your pocket and remove your banded cards. Remove the band. The
misprinted card, being at the face, will be instantly recognizable.
2. Remove the card from the stack and have it examined. You can talk about “never
going to that printing company again” or something like that, to justify your
surprise at seeing the misprinted card.
3. Flip the packet of business cards over lengthwise. Your upside down card will
now be on top. Obtain a pinky break under this card while the misprint card is
being examined.
4. Take back the misprinted card and lay it face up on top of the face down stack of
cards, on top of your break (now held under two cards).
5. Lift the top two cards away as in Figure 2, and perform the Pivot (or Twirl) color
change to apparently “slide” the photo down the card and into place.

2
 a. Hold the cards squarely together as in Figure 2, with the thumb and middle
fingers at either corner.
b. Shake the card in an up and down fashion. As you sake, the index finger
contacts the far corner of the cards and pivots it around so that the face of
the normal card comes into view.
c. Continue to shake after the pivot has been done, gradually slowing down on
the shaking. Stop, and allow the change to be appreciated by the audience.
6. Place the two cards, still squared, on top of the face down packet of business
cards momentarily. Lift off the single face up “changed” card and hand it to an
audience member to have it examined (or even better, kept )

Credits: The Pivot Color Change (today known more commonly as the Twirl Change) was
created by Noel Stanton, first published in an issue of The Gen magazine in 1964 as “In
Lieu of Vernon’s Through the Fist Flourish”.
 J.G. Monte – From “Just Cards: Vol. 1”
Effect: A queen placed in between two tens proves impossible to find, reappearing in unexpected
places and switching places under impossible conditions.

Demo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvqufYj38dQ

Setup: None!

Method:

1. Cut the QH and two black tens to the face of the deck, positioning the queen between the tens.
As you spread over the three cards to display them, spread over one extra card. As you square the
cards against the deck, hold a break under the first four cards at the face (10, queen, 10, indifferent
card). Table the deck to one side as you come away with all four cards.

2. Do a partial Stencil Display to reiterate that the queen is between the tens, taking the top ten
into your opposite hand, and then the queen, holding the last two cards (10 covering the indifferent
card) as one.

3. Square the cards and turn the packet face down. Explain that you’ll reverse the order of the
cards, and then have the spectator bet on the position of the queen. Holding the packet from above
in Biddle grip, peel the first card singly, then the next card singly, and finally place the last two cards
(as one) on top squarely. This should keep the queen positioned in the middle. Whatever the
spectator guesses, turn the top card of the packet face up singly revealing the queen.

4. Turn the queen face down again and explain that you’ll give the spectator a second chance.
Buckle the bottom card of the packet with your first finger and slip the queen into the break
created.

5. Have the spectator take another guess. They may say center again, or maybe catch on and say
top. Whatever is said, do a block turnover of all three cards above the break, showing that the
queen is once again one top of the packet.

6. Turn the queen over again (again, three cards as one). Re-grip the packet from above in Biddle
grip and back-spread the bottom two cards, dropping them on the table (apparently the two tens).
You are left with two cards as one in your hand, apparently the single queen. Explain that you’ll
isolate the queen in the card case to make the game as fair as possible. Place the two cards squarely
as one inside of the card case (or into your pocket if the case isn’t available).

7. The queen is really the topmost card of the two on the table. Pick up the two “tens” from the
table and casually move the top card to the bottom. Hold the cards from above
as if for a Pivot Change (thumb on the inside corner, middle finger on the adjacent far corner) and
use your first finger to pivot the double around as a single card, revealing the queen.

8. Re-grip the double squarely face up in dealer’s grip. Invite a spectator to open the card case and
reveal that the two tens are impossibly now inside.

9. Take back the tens from the spectator. Turn them face down and slide them underneath the face
up double in your hand. Do a double turnover to turn the queen face down. Take the top card,
apparently the queen but really the indifferent card, and cut it into the center of the deck, losing it.

10. The queen is on top of the packet in your hand. Casually transfer the bottom card to the top of
the packet as you once more ask the spectator where they believe the queen to be. Turn the packet
in your hands face up to reveal the queen is right where it should have been the entire time: in
between the tens.

Credits:
As far as impromptu three card monte effects go, Peter Duffie has an excellent one in his eBook
“Card Tricks for the Fractured Mind”.
Some of the inspiration for this routine also came from the classic “bunko bet” packet trick.
 Dot Dot Dot – from “4 Nearly Self-Working Card Tricks”

Effect: A card merely "created" by a spectator impossibly jumps to the top of the deck with
no funny moves whatsoever.

Video demo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJOgtNjh5uw

Setup: From the top of the face down deck down: Indifferent card, ace, two, three, four,
five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, jack, queen, king (all of one suit, in this case diamonds),
remainder of the deck

Method:

1. Explain that instead of having a card selected in the traditional manner, you'll have a
card "created" by the spectator in order to ensure that no one could have possibly known
the card in advance. Ask a spectator to cut off a small packet of cards from the top of the
face down deck. This amount of cards has to be 13 cards or less. If the spectator appears
to have cut off more than 13 cards, explain that the small amount will make more sense at
the effect's conclusion (which it will) and to cut off a few less. Have the small packet of cut
off cards placed off to one side. Because of your stack, if the spectator cut 6 cards, the six
of diamonds is automatically the top card of the deck. If they cut 11, the jack of diamonds is
in top, and so on.

2. Turn the deck face up and have two small packets (it doesn't really matter how many
cards this time, but small packets will make the process quicker) cut from the face of the
deck. Place the deck face down off to one side and in reach.

3. Turn the two face up packets face down. Pick up the first packet and give it to a
spectator. You'll now force the color "red" from the packet using the very clever Matsuyama
principle. Explain that the spectator is to deal the top card to the table, saying "black". The
next card goes under the packet, as you say "red". Continue the down/under deal, calling
out the colors as you do ("black" down, "red" under, "black" down, etc.). The last card will
always be red, because you started the deal with black. No matter how many cards are cut
by the spectator, this principle will always work. Even though it's not true, be sure to
hammer home the idea that had the spectator cut one more or one less card, the color
would've been black (this is the brilliant Matsuyama principle at work; try it out for yourself
and see).

For a more in-depth discussion on the Matsuyama principle, watch this video
explanation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBAzCk7_Vv8
4. Repeat the down/under Matsuyama procedure with the second packet, this time
beginning with "hearts" to the table, then "diamonds" underneath the packet, and so on. The
last card, thanks to the principle, is of course diamonds. Again, hammer home the "one card
more, one card less" idea.

5. Place the face down deck on top of the two face down packets once you have used
them. Reiterate that the card to be created has been determined to be red and a diamond.

6. Have the cards cut by the spectator at the beginning counted. Say she counts seven
cards (therefor you know that the 7D is on top of the deck). Place the deck again on top of
the packet she just counted. Play up the fairness of the whole process.

7. It's really up to you how you want to produce the card. I simply snap my fingers over the
deck after a moment of concentration and then show that their merely created card rose to
the top. You could also palm the card off the top of the deck and produce it from a pocket or
special wallet if you wish.

Credits: The Mitsunobu Matsuyama Principle is of course used in this routine to force two
of the "pieces" of the card. I'm not entirely sure where this principle originated, but I know
it's featured prominently throughout the Steve Beam "Semi-Automatic Card Tricks" series.
I’m honestly not sure who to credit in terms of having an ace through king on top of the deck
(where the card left on top of the deck tells how many cards in the packet). If you happen to
know, please feel free to contact me so that proper credit can be given!

Additional Thoughts from Paul Hallas:

Paul Hallas sent me some great ideas for a possible reveal for the “created” card, as well as
an easy reset procedure to reset the deck for another performance.

After the initial packet has been cut from the top of the face down deck at the start of the
effect, place the packet to one side. Perform a Braue Reversal, reversing the card into the
center of the deck (the card to be created and the remainder of the stack are still on top of
the deck). The deck is now face up in your hands and ready to have the two packets cut
from the face.

After the color and suit have been determined, turn the packets face down and drop the
face down deck on top of them as before. Have the amount of cards cut off at the beginning
counted by a spectator (their order is reversed). Pick up the packet yourself and count them
again, saying that you want to clarify that no cards were stuck together. The indifferent card
is now back on top of the packet, followed by the ace, and so on.

Have a spectator spread the deck themselves, revealing their “created” card reversed in the
center. To complete the reset, square the deck, turn the created card face down on top of
the deck, and place the first packet back on top.
 "Sandwich With a Twist" – New bonus effect
Effect: The magician uses two jokers to trap a spectator's selected card. The card they
trap is the Jack of Diamonds, but the spectator says this wasn't their card. When asked
what their card was, they say it was actually one of the jokers. To correct the situation,
the performer waves the jokers and the jack over the deck, where the "sandwich"
visually transforms into the two red jacks sandwiching one face down card in between
them: the joker!

Demo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LHuPfA8vm8

Setup: Have two jokers in your deck (they don't have to be identical).
Position any pair of court cards on top of the face down deck (for example, the two red
jacks). On top of the jacks, have one of the jokers.

The joker on top will be your force card. If you have two different jokers like the full color
and guarantee jokers that come with a standard Bicycle deck, remember which one is
on top. The other joker is in the deck anywhere.

The final order should be (from the top of the face down deck down): Joker, red jack,
red jack, rest of the deck with the second joker mixed in.

Method:

1. Force the top card of the deck, we'll say it's the guarantee joker, using the Riffle
Force. Cut the deck at your break wherever they say stop and give them your force
card. As they look at it, be sure to place the original top half of the deck back on top so
the pair of court cards stays on top.

2. After the spectator notes the card, have them return it anywhere they like in the deck.
Take the deck and run through, removing the two jokers. Asyou do this, it's important to
say: "Now I don't want any hints about what card you picked. No hints whatsoever. The
thing is, I'm not going to find your card, but instead I'm going to use the two jokers to try
find it.". This prevents the spectator from inadvertently blurting out, "But wait, I picked a
joker.".

3. Turn the deck face down again in your hand and place the two jokers face up on top.
Spread them over to display them, spreading over the top face down card of the deck
as well. Take a pinky break under the top three cards (2 face up jokers and the first face
down jack).

4. You'll now perform a standard sandwich load move. Lift all three cards above your
break from above in Biddle grip, keeping them squared. The thumb of your other hand
peels the top joker off and places it beneath the other joker and the face down jack,
which remain squared as one. Your thumb holding the cards clamps down on the cards.
The face down card is now loaded secretly between the jokers, hidden under the
uppermost one.

5. To produce the card, shake the jokers over the deck. As you shake, allow your thumb
to pull the top joker to the side, revealing the face down card. The shaking hides this
movement but makes for a nice visual appearance.

6. Place the three card sandwich on top of the deck. If the joker that you forced (in this
example, the guarantee joker) isn't the lower most one (i.e. the third card from the top)
reposition it so that it is. Spread over the three cards to show them, spreading over the
top card of the deck as well. Obtain a break below the lower most joker and the top card
of the deck. Display the three cards.

7. Use the uppermost joker to flip the face down card face up between the jokers,
showing one of the red jacks. The spectator will say that this wasn't their card. Have
them name their card for the first time. Act confused, saying, "Oh, that's too bad. I guess
I can't do much of anything now- it's kind of hard for cards to trap themselves, but I
might be able to try something else instead.". Turn the jack face down between the
jokers again.

8. Square the cards on top of the deck and lift all four (face up joker, face down jack,
face up selected joker, face down jack) and hold them squared between your thumb
and second finger in position for Noel Stanton's "In Lieu of Vernon's Though the Fist
Flourish" in it's visual form, the Twirl or Pivot Change .

9. Shake the packet, and as you do, use your first finger to revolve the cards around to
the other side so that the red jack comes into view. As before, the shaking action will
hide the rotation of the packet. The result is a visual change from a joker into a jack.

10. Immediately after the change, place the sandwich back on top of the deck and
spread over the top three cards, leaving the fourth behind on top. You are now free to
show the "new" sandwich by removing the top three cards of the deck in a fan. Remove
the face down card from between the jacks to show the selected joker.