Ever since I started writing for Online-Visions I have only shared my opinions, thoughts and ideas with you regarding the magic industry as a whole. In this column I present for you a useable and malleable routine which I have honed over nearly 20 years. You will need a copy of Bobo to fully understand and appreciate it, but it is something that you can use if you are of a mind to do so.

I've grown so tired of magicians putting out a trick or two on DVD and charging huge sums of money that I've decided to make this fully public, free of charge. Even if you don't use it, this still works as an excellent study of putting together routines that can be changed and rearranged on the spur of the moment. I hope that you enjoy it.

The basic routine:

"Have you ever noticed that every magician everywhere has to do a card trick? You really can't be a magician if you don't do a card trick...In fact, when you become a magician, you have to take an oath that you'll do a card trick in each and every presentation. But, I'm changing the rules today. I'm not going to do a card trick..."

Magician pulls out a deck of cards. [1] He removes the pack from the box, shuffles a bit while giving the last couple of lines above (while explaining that he's NOT going to do a card trick).

Fanning the cards, he offers a card selection to the spectator on his left. [2]

"Would you please remove one of these cards?" (Spec removes card.) "Go ahead, you can look at it...Show it to someone if you'd like. Have you memorized your card? Ah, well, you don't have to. Remember, this isn't a card trick..."

The magician fans the cards to a spec on his right, offering another card whilst leaving the original card with spec #1.

"Here, please, you take one too. Go ahead, look at the card and you can show it around too, if you'd like. Have you remembered your card? You know, I keep trying to tell you folks that this isn't a card trick, you really don't have to remember those cards."

The magician tables the deck and takes back the original two cards. [3] He performs "Coin Production from Two Cards" (Bobo) using the following lines:

"This was your card, correct?" (Asking spec on left and showing that card - the spec agrees.) "And this was yours, correct?" (Asking the spec on right and showing that card - the spec agrees.) "Now, watch this closely because...."

Coin comes out from between the cards. [4]

"It's a coin trick!!"

At this point, the magician is free to do a quick, one coin routine or move onto the following: [5]

"One of the props most associated with a magician is a wand. Now, I don't carry a wand because I got tired of being beat up when I was a kid. But, I do carry a pen which I use as a wand...here, I'll show you what I mean"

Magician does false transfer of coin from right hand to left and reaches into his jacket with his now dirty hand to retrieve the pen. At this point, he sets up for "A Novel Vanish and Reproduction" (Bobo). [6]

"See? Not only does this work as a wand, but I can use it to write, too! Now that's what I call an all-purpose tool. All I need do is wave it over my hand and..."

The coin vanishes.

"The nice thing about using this pen as my wand is that not only can I use it to write things down and make things disappear, but I don't get beat up so much anymore. Of course, this works in reverse, too - here, watch..."

The magician uses the pen to produce the coin once again (as per "A Novel Vanish and Reproduction").

"I'll tell you what, you may have missed that, so I'll do it right here in the open and you can see the coin vanish, right in front of your eyes..."

Holding the coin on the open palm, the magician goes into the "1, 2, 3" vanishing shtick with the pen left behind the ear, but the coin still on the hand...

"One, two, thr.....Oh, man, I lose more pens that way..."

Ultimately, the audience will note the pen behind the ear and the magician makes a slight turn (ditches the coin) and retrieves the pen.

"Three!" [7]

Magician smacks hand with pen, the coin is gone.

Give that a second, or a beat, to sink into the spec's mind and put the pen away (fairly showing your hand empty by holding the pen gingerly at fingertips) and pick up the deck.

With a smile and a wink, "Now, if I were going to do a card trick, it would look like this..."

Notes:

[1] There are several points to consider when pulling out a deck of cards. The first is, of course, that this is exactly what your spectators expect of you. Magicians do card tricks and this fact is ingrained into the psyche of the spectator. When pulling out a deck of cards and simultaneously stating, "I'm not going to do a card trick..." you are setting up an inherently comical situation and giving them a paradox to consider - you are a magician with a deck in his hand who is not going to do a card trick. This builds interest in the mind of the specs.

Another point is that you can have multiple set ups prepared in advance of the situation. You can have the deck stacked in a certain order for a card trick down the line. I do this quite often. I will either have a specific set up on top of the deck (a block of 4 cards normally) or a card upside down on the bottom of the deck, depending on the card trick that I will be going into after the coin trick.

Another consideration, while it would seem a very minor point, is that you should be putting your cards in the case the same way every time so that you know which side the backs and fronts are on when opening the case to pour out the deck into your hand. By doing this, you develop a sense of continuity when handling the deck, prior to taking it out of the case. This will give you a sense of confidence, since the deck is always the same, regardless of which deck you remove from your pocket (normally, a magician doing walk around has various decks in various places). A safety precaution, as it were, and just one less thing to have to think about while you are presenting any given trick.

Finally, the coin that will be appearing from between the cards is kept in the case with the deck. When you pour out the deck, the coin comes out with it and will seat itself almost perfectly into finger palm position under the deck. The deck, sitting on your hand with the backs facing up, completely hides the coin.

In this position, you can actually overhand shuffle the deck keeping the coin hidden and you can further use false shuffles to not only hide the coin but maintain your deck stack. This puts you two steps ahead of your spectators and really does put you in an excellent position. Lastly, if you have a card upside down on the bottom, you can slip shuffle the cards maintaining that upside down card and keeping the coin hidden. Written down, it sounds difficult, but in so doing you'll find that it really isn't that hard (and, if you know me, you know that I do everything I can to avoid "hard").

[2] Again, card tricks are ingrained into the psyche of your spectators. As you spread the cards, the line follows, "Would you please remove one of these cards?" Over the years, I've found that I rarely even need to use this line. When spreading the cards and presenting them to a spectator, that spectator will normally take a card out without being prompted. I find it rather amazing that this is automatic and it seems to tell me that the whole "pick a card" thing has become monotonous to the point of tears.

That fact coupled with the whole "this isn't a card trick" presentation becomes more comical the further that you go when doing this trick.

As soon as the spec takes that card, they will do one of two things:

1) They will look at that card and immediately look at you for prompting

or

2) They will pull the card out and immediately hold it to their chest to stop you from seeing it

Either way, you'll find that they are careful to make sure that you cannot see what their card is. Again, this sets you up for some very comical presentational points. As they endeavor to ensure that you don't see their card, you can say, "It's alright if I see the card - remember…This isn't a card trick." And, even when you say that, they will still keep their card a secret from you. If you decide to actually take the time and do this trick, you will start realizing just how monotonous card tricks really are and just how ingrained this whole shtick is in the minds of your spectators - it's rather funny and sad, all at the same time.

However, as you become comfortable doing this trick, you will also find that you can have a really good time with your specs by continuing on the line that "this isn't a card trick."

Finally, when spreading the cards for the spec to pick one, the coin remains on your left hand, hidden by the bulk of the deck. It is easy enough to do. Also, if you are maintaining the upside down card on the bottom or a stack on top or bottom, you find that by openly and casually spreading the cards that the spec invariably takes a card from the center, so not to worry about your pre-set cards.

[3] Tabling the deck is a point of matter, here. During the entire presentation to this point, you should have been maintaining the coin in the finger palm position, under the deck. As you square the deck back up on your hand, coin underneath, the method for tabling the deck and keeping the coin hidden is a subtle, but important, point.

The deck will be sitting on your hand in a dealer style position. The right hand will be just over the deck having squared them up and griping the deck with thumb on the back side (side closest to your chest) and fingers on the front side (side closest to your specs).

Now, pivot the deck against the knuckle of your left hand and simultaneously turn the left hand downward (coin in finger palm), the deck face down, being taken away and set on the table by your right hand. The deck is tabled and the left hand swings innocuously to your left side. This is done in one, fluid motion and by pivoting the deck and turning the left hand down, the deck continues to hide the coin while the left hand turns down - it is a weak moment where the coin can flash if handled improperly.

The misdirectional point here is that you have what is called diffusion - both hands moving simultaneously, diffusing attention. However, by dropping the left hand casually, the attention will go to the right hand, which has an item of interest (the deck) and the left hand, being "empty," holds no interest at all.

[4] This phase holds some very interesting components. In Bobo, the showing of the cards just prior to the coin's appearance is boring, to my way of thinking. This is where you have room for creativity, because the handling is exactly what Bobo suggests, it's the showing that becomes interesting.

The point behind this phase is to show the front and back of the cards keeping the coin hidden and also to subtly prove that there is nothing in your hands except the cards. It is an important phase because it makes the appearance of the coin that much more inexplicable. At the same time, you have to be careful that you aren't over-proving your point, or "running while you're not being chased." A delicate balancing act, as it were.

Here is an excellent way of doing this:

With your right hand, take back the card from the spec on your right (this follows almost immediately on the tail of tabling the deck). As above, your spec is going to be careful to make sure that you don't see the card, even as he/she hands it back it to you. Now, bring your left hand up from your side and hand off the card, from right hand to left hand, in exactly the opposite of the way that you took the deck when you tabled it...

That is to say, the left hand comes up in a palm down position (coin in finger palm). The card is then set against the knuckle and the left hand pivots upward to receive the card (exactly the opposite of what you did when you took the deck from the left hand). This is done, again, in one, fluid motion. It sounds very unnatural when typing it out, but it is a very natural motion if it is done fluidly. Just keep in mind what you are trying to accomplish and it will become easy - you need to keep the coin from flashing by making sure that the card completely covers the coin as you turn the left hand up to take the card from the right hand.

Immediately following placing the card in the left hand, you hold your right hand out to take back the card from the spectator on your left. In so doing this, you must reposition the coin from finger palm to holding it against the bottom of the card with the pad of your middle finger. It's not hard to do, but it is a repositioning that you don't want your spectators to notice.

As the right hand reaches across your body to take the card from the spec on the left, the direction of attention is on that spectator and his/her card. Make a statement as you are taking back that card ("honestly, it doesn't matter if I see your card or not, because this isn't a card trick") and you are free to reposition the coin under the card in the left hand.

Of worthy note here is the fact that, at this point, you've stated, "This isn't a card trick," about 5 times. As you take back the card from the spec on your left, you'll find that if you simply pause when you say "It doesn't really matter if I see your card because..." the specs who are watching will finish the line for you. They will actually, audibly say, "...This isn't a card trick." At this point, they will all laugh because they are getting into this along with you and now they actually have lines in the trick - it's no longer about the trick, it's about them.

This whole thing, done properly, gives you so much misdirection when repositioning that coin under the card you could almost sneak an elephant in underneath that card and they wouldn't notice. This is the misdirection of entertainment - the audience is immersing itself into your presentation and becoming a part of your actual presentation. Handled properly, this is really a lot of fun for both your audience and for you.

Here's the situation at this point:

You have the spectator on the right's card in your left hand and you have the spectator on the left's card in your right hand. You are going to use "counter body motion" to flash them their cards one last time before you go into the appearance of the coin. Now, presently, you show the backs of the cards as you hold them, your left hand still on your left and your right hand still on your right and the coin hidden underneath the left card.

Push the right hand card up to fingertips (as per Bobo) and flash it to the spec on your left whilst saying "This is your card, correct?" The spec will agree. Because the card is in your right hand and you are flashing to the left, the right forearm goes in front of your body in a "counter body motion." Now, bring up the left hand with your left forearm underneath your right forearm as you push the card to fingertips (as per Bobo) and flash the card to the spec on the right whilst saying "And this is yours, correct?" That spec will agree.

This makes for a nice display, with the arms in an X type position in front of your body, showing both cards now to each of your specs. From this position, immediately go into "Coin Production from Two Cards" as per Bobo. The difference here is that in Bobo, you simply bring up both cards at the same time in your display, with no counter body motion...It simply doesn't build to your finale of the coin's appearance - it is a boring display.

A final point is the fact that you haven't really looked at their cards, at this point. You honestly don't know what they are. This fact is used in the bulk of the motions required for the appearance of the coin. As you slide the cards against each other and turn one over, you note, "Oh, you had the ten of diamonds..." and the other turns over you note "And you had the three of clubs." Again, you say, "But, that doesn't really matter because..." They will finish your line for you and the coin appears at the end of their statement (if you time it properly).

You've finally given them the pay-off here. You have them feeding you your lines and now they actually see where the road has taken them. Watch their faces, not the coin - you'll like what you see.

And, 9 times out of 10, when that coin appears on the very tail of them saying "it's not a card trick" they will actually blurt out, "IT'S A COIN TRICK!!" You rarely even have to use that line yourself, because they will say it themselves and they will say it loudly and enthusiastically.

[5] And herein lies the power of this opening presentation. You now have the ability to move onto a coin presentation or a card presentation. You can go anyway that you please. Depending on your audience and how you feel, at that very moment, if you have both a card routine and a coin routine at the ready, you can decide in that very instant which way you want to go.

If you are doing table hopping and the food is on its way, you can cut right here and move onto your next table, putting the cards back in their case and sliding the coin back in as you walk to your next destination (quick, easy reset). Or, you can do a quick one coin routine if you feel that you still have a moment but will need to cut soon. Or, you can expand into a longer coin/coins routine if you have time, or go with the cards which you have sitting there, already set to go...

You are just in an excellent position here.

[6] "A Novel Vanish and Reproduction" is one of the easiest tricks in the books, but garners such exceptional response from the spectators that I'm surprised that it is not used much more often by magicians.

Further, going this route you've now presented an additional component into your routine - a pen. If you decide not to follow this particular trick with the "1, 2, 3" vanish, you have set yourself up to go into the highly acclaimed routine "Re-Cap" (Wilson). You've given yourself further options on where you can go in your choice of this overall routine. You are giving yourself further avenues to follow and because the pay-off to "A Novel Vanish and Reproduction" is so very strong, you can close on it and move onto your next table/destination. You can close here if you need to, you can go into a further coin presentation, you can go into "Re-Cap," you can go into your own pen routine or you can go into your card set.

Geez - what more could you want?

Furthermore, if you are unhappy with the idea of having your cards themselves preset in this routine, you can put the cards away (hand the coin to a spec for examination giving you the moment to get rid of the cards) and you now have given yourself the ability to do a deck switch in a very natural and fair manner.

This is just a terrifically malleable routine giving you many avenues to explore.

[7] I won't get into the misdirection inherent in ditching the coin when the specs see the pen behind your ear - it is overwhelmingly obvious.

But, this is where proper blocking comes into play and I'd like to expand on that. As the specs notice the pen behind the ear, you turn your body slightly to the right as you take the pen from out behind your ear. This, of course, allows you to ditch the coin, openly and cleanly.

Also, as you bring the open palm where the coin sits back into play, the specs will believe that the coin is still there. If you hold your hand as if you still had that coin sitting on your open palm, but have the hand slightly above eye level, they will assume that the coin is still there, even though they cannot specifically see it.

Keeping attention on the pen, which will be just below the open hand "holding the coin," the blocking comes into play. You don't do the "1, 2, 3" again, but simply say (enthusiastically) "THREE!" As you say this, the hand with the coin comes down as the pen goes up and comes back down, smacking the palm. Again, we see here diffusion - both hands moving simultaneously making it hard to follow either one. It is important that you do this entire thing in a fluid motion.

If you act as if that coin was still openly displayed, the audience will believe that it was. The vanish is quite startling to them, but it puts you in a weak position. At this point, you must actively move onto your next phase, giving them no time to consider the idea of you having ditched the coin while their attention was on the pen behind your ear.

In my opinion, this is the weakest part of the routine, overall. Handled properly, you can get away with it. On the outside chance that they take you to task on having ditched the coin while they were focused elsewhere, then simply make a joke of it with a smile and a wink. Pay it little attention and you'll find that your audience will follow, especially if you've been honestly entertaining them.

And, I'll conclude on that note.

I hope that you'll find a use for this little routine and I hope that my explanations and extrapolations were useful to you in considering your own routining and magic.
Addendum:

I realized that the open handed palm is not workable in all situations (where you have to keep the hand above eye level to avoid showing that the coin is gone). I was considering it from a worker's point of view, where you stand at the table while your specs are sitting. In this situation, even if you cannot go above eye level, you can tilt the hand slightly so that the palm is out of view but still appears to be holding a coin. Other situations, however, will not allow this. There are two ways of dealing with this situation:

1) You simply handle this with a closed fist vanish, as you did with "A Novel Vanish and Reproduction." This is weaker, but it works. Because your first method was via false transfer, then it is important that when you are explaining you'll show it to them again, you make a point of the fact that the coin is sitting on the palm before you fist up, so that they are certain that the coin was in your hand and no funny business could take place. (Rather like Vernon's handling of showing a ball in his hand just prior to doing the wand vanish in his cup and ball presentation.)

2) I'll call this method the "a lot of hair on my ass" method. This requires timing, strong misdirection skill and, well, a lot of hair on your ass. Immediately following the pen vanish, they notice the pen behind your ear and you ditch the coin. Keeping attention on the pen as you turn back, simply act as if the coin is still on your open palm even though if anyone looks at your left hand, they will see it gone. Maintain full attention on the pen and before their attention goes to your empty, open hand, announce "Three!" and slap the open palm with the pen. Again: timing, strong misdirectional skill and a lot of hair on your ass.

Can't be done? Michael Ammar openly places a ball on top of a cup and it goes unnoticed. Tommy Wonder openly places an egg on the table and it goes unnoticed. It can be done. But, both of those gentlemen use timing, strong misdirectional skill and, well, you know...

Until next time, take care and thank you for reading.

Mike