ORGANIC, a study on engineering miracles
Written by
Dan and Dave Buck
Special thanks to
Suren Seron, Van Tran, Brad Webber, John Lovick, Chad
Nelson, Derek DelGaudio, and Ricky Smith
Copyright © Dan and Dave Buck, 2008
All Rights Reserved. No part of this book, text or
illustrations, may be reproduced in any form without
permission of the publishers.
Published October 31, 2008 by www.dananddave.com
Introduction
It was a sunny afternoon on July 11, 2006 when I
squeezed into the back seat of my friend Suren s Toyota
Prius for what was the start of a 30-day road trip
across the US. I was joining two other friends of mine,
Brad and Van. We were all setting out to make a
documentary Suren had written and I was the cameraman.
With barely enough arm room in the back to practice, I
was relieved when it was my turn to sit in front,
whether driving or not. When driving, especially
through the Midwest, the long monotonous hours forced
me to think of new ideas and effects. I would then fill
the pages of my Moleskine notebook when we switched and
work out the details with my cards in hand.
Being with my friends every second of every day allowed
me to open up without fear when performing magic for
them. I could tell they were getting a bit bored with
the card tricks, so I decided to branch out, and like a
jazz musician, I began to roll with it. I could go into
a trick without a clear outcome in mind and because
they were my friends, I didn t care if anything came of
it. This new attitude opened up my thinking; I was free
and could do anything. This is exactly what a magician
should be capable of so the road trip was a perfect
opportunity to push the limits of thought.
Suren, Brad and Van were not only my inspiration to be
spontaneous, but were also my test audience. I would
make notes of the effects and refine them in
performance for people we would meet and interview for
the documentary.
Organic is a collection of some of my favorite moments,
tricks and ideas that I had on the trip, as well as a
few ideas Dave and I have added to since. Admittedly,
it s a branch far from our roots, but we have grown and
will continue to grow. I hope you enjoy the journey.
Dan Buck
October 31, 2008
Engineering Miracles
Miracles, which are what we re calling the effects
herein, are our interpretations of real magic performed
freely in everyday environments. They have stemmed from
a diverse study of the art and are the reaction to
improvisational thinking.
Magic vs. Miracle
As magicians, we use tools to achieve an effect or a
trick. We call this process magic. However, if we had
the ability to rid ourselves of these tools (i.e.,
playing cards, coins, notepads...all of which we carry
on an invisible utility belt ready to amaze), then
procedure is removed and the magic becomes a miracle.
Let us explain. Anytime a tool is presented, whether it
is cards or coins or if you re a mentalist, a notepad,
you re providing an excuse and lessening the effect by
turning it into a trick, rather than a miracle.
Additionally, by giving presentation and patter you re
acting out of rehearsal and practice, which also hints
to a method. Miracles can only be achieved out of
complete spontaneity and with no apparent reason or
excuse for whatever props being used.
To achieve a miracle, there are two modus operandi.
One, which is perhaps a more traditional approach, is
through a premeditated process that usually requires
preparation. And two, from which most of the miracles
herein have created, is an approach we call improv.
Improv, or improvisation, relies on a rich knowledge of
methods and effects and allows the magician to perform
miracles spontaneously without preparation.
Premeditated
Several examples are described in this journal for
premeditated magic. These effects were planned and
arranged using props indigenous to the environment.
Therefore, it was often necessary to delay the
presentation with a subtle excuse of absence as the
effect was set up.
The effects described in this journal dependent on
premeditated modus operandi are Mannequin, Straw,
Cartel, Window, Bookstore, Resurrection, Deliquesce,
and Sealed & Revealed.
Improv
The most direct approach, improv, allows one the
freedom to achieve miracles spontaneously. Usually both
the method and effect were unknown during presentation;
therefore, both had to be improvised in tandem.
It is unlikely that improvised miracles can be achieved
regularly, as they predominantly rely on situation and
environment. Because these factors are constantly
changing, the moment of the effect will rarely be
duplicated. For example, even though any one of the
effects outlined herein might be superficially suitable
for a situation, it won t become a miracle unless it
derives naturally.
The effects representative of this approach are Tumble,
Edamame, Sealed & Revealed, Deliquesce, and
Resurrection.
Final Thoughts
It s imperative your audience is unaware of any ruses.
This includes the use of tools, patter or any excuse
that presents a method.
By shaping effects around your surroundings, they will
more likely be perceived phenomenally.
In conclusion, we understand both these approaches rely
on a diverse knowledge of methods and have therefore
provided available resources to learn the sleight of
hand necessary. For certain effects, we even provide a
brief description of the method. We have also included
a few sleights that can be adapted into your own
improvised miracles such as Rigged, Blinded, Joker
Tracking, and Shake & Bake.
This manual is more than anything an outline of ideas,
not a  how to . We wish you inspiration.
- - -
Note: Rather than mimic our methods, we urge you to see
past the ruses and realize it s nothing but confidence
and keen intelligence, both, which can be developed to
create your own miracles.
Contents
Tumble
Rigged
Cartel
Sidekick
Edamame
Subway Renovation
Joker Tracking
Resurrection
Blinded
Sealed & Revealed
Deliquesce
Autocatch
Strawgami
Shake and Bake
Mannequin
Tumble
LOCATION: LAUNDROMAT
With such a small car and lots of equipment, packing
light was essential. Likewise, it was necessary to step
into a laundromat every now and again.
One day while at a laundromat, Brad asked to see some
magic. This is what happened:
 Choose a card...Now place it back in the deck and
shuffle...Your card is lost.
With a nod from Brad, I took back the cards and placed
them in my pocket. At this point, I still had no clue
as to where this effect was going but that all changed
when I noticed a tumbling clothes dryer in the
distance.
I took off my pants and placed them in the dryer. One-
by-one the cards started to appear until the dryer was
full of tumbling cards. My friends look confused while
I was half naked and cold.
I asked Brad to open the door to the dryer and remove
the pants.
 It would seem as if all the cards fell out of my
pocket and are now at the bottom of the dryer. However,
all but one card fell from my pocket.
As I pointed to my pants pocket, Brad reached in and
removed only one card, his selection.
Method:
Secretly remove the fifty-one indifferent cards leaving
the selection secured in the pocket as you toss the
pants into the dryer. From this point on the effect is
entirely self-working.
It was this effect that triggered a stream of
improvisational magic that would continue throughout
the trip.
Rigged
The concept of tossing a coin into the air and calling
 heads or  tails is commonly used to settle mediocre
disputes. Now imagine if you could control the outcome
of that toss.
The action of the toss appears to be legitimate,
however, the coin does not flip over at all. To better
understand what is actually happening, spin a coin on a
flat surface and wait for it to begin wobbling. The
technique you use to flick the coin into the air will
cause it to wobble in this fashion, and never turn
over. So if you flick it heads-side up, it will remain
heads up in the air and land that way flat on the palm
of your hand.
The method is very simple; if you re able to snap your
fingers, you can do this. Just place a coin between
your right thumb and middle finger, gripping the coin
at the extreme edge. Position your thumb and middle
finger as if you re about to snap them.
Swing your right wrist upward gently as you snap your
fingers against each other.
Note that the right middle finger is angled upward such
that the  snapped coin is also propelled upward, into
the air. The coin will wobble as it rises through the
air but it will never revolve completely.
While the coin is in the air (or before you toss it),
you can predict how it will land. To do this, just note
which side is uppermost between your right fingers
before the toss. Also, it s customary to catch the coin
on your right palm and rotate your entire hand palm
down on the back of your left hand. If you will carry
out these actions after the toss, be sure to call out
the side opposite of whichever side is uppermost before
the toss. For example, if you control the toss so that
the heads side lands upward on your right hand, call
out  tails so that when you smack the coin against the
back of your left hand, you will have successfully
predicted the outcome.
Precisely how you predict the outcome will change how
the effect is perceived. If you stare intently at the
airborne coin and call out the outcome as it spins, it
appears you have somehow gauged the behavior of the
coin in a superhuman ability to follow the coin s
rotation. If you call out the outcome before you toss
the coin, the implication is of a more psychic nature.
With practice, you will learn to get into this snap
position with one hand. And with a little finesse, you
can actually get the coin to appear to have been
flicked by the thumb, as is traditionally done when for
a coin toss. One subtlety I use when tossing the coin
in the air is to start with the thumb and middle
fingers pointing downward, toward the floor, and in the
action of swinging my wrist upward to throw the coin, I
snap. I also extend the thumb up like a hitchhiker to
give the subtle impression that I  flicked the coin
with my thumb rather than a snap.
Cartel
LOCATION: CONVENIENCE STORE
We spent long hours on the road and would make frequent
stops to hydrate and use the restroom. I remember one
instance at a gas station convenience store with Suren
behind me at the checkout counter. Our items were
scanned and the attendant said,  That will be $23.84.
Never without a deck in my hand, I spread through the
cards removing a 2 and a 4 and said,  Here s 24.
Suren knew I was joking, but the attendant looked at me
like I was an idiot. I guess I was a bit serious about
it. Anyway, I proceeded to swipe the cards through the
credit card terminal to the amazement from both of them
that the transaction actually went through. I should
have asked for 16ó in change.
Method:
Start with your credit card on the bottom of the deck.
As the two cards are removed from the deck, simply
remove the credit card discreetly adding it to the back
of the cards. Make sure the orientation of the credit
card matches that in which the terminal requires it to
be swiped.
Sidekick
Having a partner in magic, whether it s a friend,
assistant, brother or in our case, a twin, has many
benefits. We know we could really be messing with
people since we look alike, but right now that s just
not in the cards. What I mean by beneficial is the
ability to know each other s train of thought and being
able to exploit it quickly and secretly. This allows us
to perform miracles beyond the norm of a simple card
trick.
What follows are just a few ideas we have used over the
years.
Glass:
In 2006 at our best friend Ricky Smith s graduation
party in San Luis Obispo, I was asked to make a card go
through the window. I actually get this request often,
as everyone seems to have seen Blaine do it on TV.
Usually I shrug it off, but this time I was feeling it.
Actually, Dave was near and I just knew he was thinking
what I was thinking. Maybe it s a twin thing.
I had a card selected and signed. When the card was
returned, I immediately palmed it out and handed off
the deck to be mixed. While the deck was being shuffled
I placed my hand casually behind my back and Dave
casually brushed by, taking the card. In less then 15
seconds, the card was stuck to the outside glass with
some saliva. I sprung the cards toward the window and
the rest is history. This effect kills.
Strangely, during a different performance of the above
effect, I somehow managed to palm out the wrong card.
However, since no one was really paying attention to
the value of the card or the fact that it was signed,
everyone thought the card really did go through the
window. Gotta love performing for a drunken audience.
Glass may also be done, and I would say enhanced, by
using a car window. However, because the use of your
own car, or the car of an accomplice, is needed, it s
important your spectator believes it s a random car.
In the past I have forced a court card such as the King
of Diamonds so that right before the cards are sprung,
I can casually flash the King of Hearts to the
spectator in hopes that she believes it was her card
she saw. However, with good technique and presentation,
your audience will have no reason not to believe the
selection is in the deck right before you spring the
cards.
Bookstore:
While in Portland, visiting the first Starbucks was an
experience I took in along with a delicious vanilla
latte. We spent some time in Powell s bookstore too,
one of the largest bookstores in the US.
Standing in front of Powell s, I asked a gentleman to
help me with something. I told him I worked for the
bookstore and we were conducting a fun little survey.
 Think of your favorite playing card and then tell me
what it is.
After telling me his card, I proceeded to locate the
card in my deck, bringing it to the top. I removed a
marker from my pocket.
 This will make sense in a minute, I need you to sign
the card. And also write the title of a book on the
card. The book that has had the most impact on your
life.
Once the card had been signed, I had him return it to
the deck, which I gave him to hold.
I paused, looked at him, and asked if he thought this
was weird. He didn t know.
 What is the name of the book?
As he told me the name of the book I placed my hand
just above the deck he was holing and said take out
your card.
After a brief moment of amazement and confusion, I told
him there was a reason I asked for the title of the
book. We proceeded to walk into the bookstore in which
I asked customer service to locate the title; he
already knew where it was so we proceeded accordingly.
When there I had him take the book from the shelf and
shake it upside down as I took a step back. His
favorite card that he signed fluttered to the floor and
landed face up.
It was a priceless experience for us all.
Method:
It s possible to pull this off with one sidekick but I
used two, and for good reason. Brad was listening in on
the conversation through a cell phone call we had made
just before my approach. My phone was in my pocket but
on speakerphone, so he was able to hear the book title.
Van stood near the entrance ready for me to discreetly
hand her the selected card as we walked through.
While approaching the customer service desk, Van
quickly rendezvoused with Brad, handing off the card
for him to plant in the book. By doing this, I
eliminated any suspicion of an accomplice since Van
never needed to come near the book.
We obviously had an advantage of using one of the
largest bookstores, so it was unlikely that the chosen
title wouldn t be in stock. A library can also be used
and in fact would eliminate the dilemma of your
spectator picking up the wrong copy, as there are
usually multiple copies on the shelves in bookstores.
Additional notes:
In conclusion one might ask why the use of a playing
card was integrated into the effect when the outcome
could have been achieved with a business card, napkin,
piece of paper or any other small object that lays
flat, fits in a book, and can be vanished. Yes, these
are legitimate concerns it would be best to use
whatever is available to you at the time and proceed on
with the effect.
Edamame
LOCATION: SUSHI RESTAURANT
Just about every sushi restaurant serves edamame before
the meal, so if you eat Sushi, this effect might be of
interest.
Effect:
Out to dinner with some fellow friends, a bowl of
edamame arrives and slowly starts to disappear as the
pods are eaten one-by-one. One pod remains, everyone is
eyeing it but you quickly take it and strip the beans
out with your teeth into your mouth.
 Watch this.
Drop the beans into your hand and show an empty pod.
You slowly begin to wave the pod over the beans when
all of a sudden they vanish from the hand and the pod
appears to be whole again. It can be handed out for
examination as everything is really back to normal. The
beans are back inside the sealed pod.
Method:
While eating the edamame, secretly retain 3 beans in
your mouth and discard the empty pod. When ready to
perform the effect, grab a full Edamame pod with 3
beans and act like you are removing them with your
teeth in the normal way you would eat Edamame. Drop the
3 beans that have been loaded into your mouth into the
hand that is not holding the bean pod. Now perform
David Williamson s  Striking Vanish (Williamson s
Wonders, page 17) and show the beans have traveled back
inside the pod.
An alternate method is to have a pod finger palmed so
that you can really remove the beans from the pod with
your teeth. Now, at the moment you spit the beans into
your hand you switch the two pods and carry on.
Subway Renovation
The following is a subtle improvement on our effect
 Subway , which can be found in The Trilogy DVD set or
On Demand at www.dananddave.com.
When the two packets have been separated with the
protruding cards, it s at this moment I now hand each
packet to one of the spectators. Since all the work has
been done, everything from this moment on happens in
their hands as they each push the out-jogged card(s)
in.
The effect is much stronger now and the teleportation
can be tied into many presentational plots. For
instance, if performing the effect for a husband and
wife, you may go as far as handing the husband the
selection to push in so when the wife pushes the two
cards in, out comes the selection, a visual symbolizing
birth. Okay, that was a joke but the idea of having the
spectators create the magic in their hands is not.
Perform this effect in your spectators hands. It will
make all the difference.
Joker Tracking
Have a card selected and controlled to the top. Table
the deck so that it rests in riffle shuffle position.
Place a Joker face-up on top of the deck angle-jogged
to the left so that the right corner protrudes over the
outer edge. Execute the Erdnase  One-handed Fancy True
Cut (The Expert at the Card Table, page 47) to place
the Joker one-third of the way down in the deck. Cut
the top half to the right taking the out-jogged Joker
with it and riffle shuffle the packets together. You
can shuffle as many times as you like as long as the
Joker remains out-jogged in the right-hand packet and
the selection will always stay below it.
The principle is similar to a short card. In fact,
you re basically making an impromptu short card by
angling the joker in this way.
This idea can be turned into an effect where the joker
ends up next to the selection after several shuffles,
or as a force. I m sure your imagination will find a
use suitable for your repertoire.
Additionally you can maneuver the Aces to the top and
borrow someone s business card or license to present
the effect in a manner that shows they are very lucky.
Try this out the next time you re in Vegas and you will
make someone s day.
Resurrection
A book of matches is about as commonplace an object as
you can find, so it s not surprising that there have
literally been hundreds of match tricks published. Only
a few however do we believe to be performance worthy.
What follows is our handling of an old idea and one of
our favorite match tricks to perform. It s easy and
incredibly magical.
Effect:
A man asks you for a light. You remove a small box of
matches, take one out and light it. After lighting the
man s cigarette, you shake the match to put out the
flame. A woman walks up and also asks you for a light.
Now instead of taking out another match, this is what
happens. Slowly blow on the burnt match as a cloud of
smoke forms around it. Both the man and the woman then
see the burnt match slowly restore. After all the smoke
has dissipated, strike the restored match on the box
and light her cigarette.
DISCLAIMER: The publisher takes no responsibility
whatsoever for any accidents, mishaps, or mayhem caused
by the actual practice or performance of this effect.
Pre-Show:
Obtain a small box of matches and make sure the matches
inside are of natural color wood, not black, and that
the tip is a light color, such as red or white.
There are four sides to a wooden matchstick. With a
black Sharpie, mark two adjacent sides, including the
tip. Do this in a way so that it appears burnt. Don t
just make a straight line across the center and color
up. Use your artistic skills and look at an actual
burnt match and try to copy its look.
Place this match somewhere you can access it quickly.
Method:
Hold the prepared match at its base between your second
and third fingers toward the fingertips. Holding the
match this way will allow freedom for your thumb and
index finger to remove and handle another match.
Open the box and remove a regular match and hold it at
the tip of the index finger and thumb, just like you
would normally. Strike the match to light it and allow
it to burn a few seconds, or until it has burned about
half way down.
To accomplish the effect as described, it is necessary
to perform an old trick that will allow you to blow
smoke from your mouth. Daniel Garcia recently revived
this old bar trick which he calls  Warning. A brief
description follows:
When you strike the match, make sure it s positioned
roughly a foot below your nose and that your mouth is
closed. As soon as you see it starting to light,
lightly inhale through your nostrils. The inhaling
should happen before you see smoke coming from the
flame. The first couple times it will burn your nose,
and this might be because the match is held too close,
so experiment with it. Once you have inhaled, and you
only need a little, raise your head and look at your
spectator so they don t suspect anything. Now, if you
open your mouth, smoke will flow from it. It s a neat
effect, but definitely not recommended for use on a
daily basis. Try this at your own risk and if you re
under 18, don t try it at all.
If you don t wish to perform  Warning , you may also
simply take a drag of someone s cigarette to blow smoke
on the burnt match.
In the action of shaking out the flame, toss it away as
the altered match is levered up into the same position.
By doing this quickly and casually, you will have
secretly switched the burnt match for the altered
match.
Watch as the altered match is levered up to make sure
the colored edge is facing your spectators.
Now open your mouth and slowly blow the smoke toward
the match as you simply revolve the match around so the
two clean sides now face the spectator. The match
appears to have been restored.
Pause for only a moment and then re-light the match.
This will burn the evidence by concealing the fact the
other side was only painted black.
If you re underage or not a smoker (I myself detest
smoking), here is another possibility:
Once the match has been switched for the altered match,
hold it at the very tip of your fingers and clearly
show your other hand empty. Now, with a magical gesture
or wave of the hand over the match, simply turn it
around as you would for a paddle move. Light the match
to prove it has been restored.
Further, doing away with the restoration phase entirely
and just re-lighting the burnt match could also
accomplish a different effect.
You may also wish to perform the paddle move with any
of the above methods; however, I don t feel it is
necessary as it becomes too showy, like a magic trick,
not a miracle.
Blinded
Effect:
Reach into the air with your empty hand and produce a
lit match.
Method:
Take a small box of matches and cut off about one third
of the striking strip. Place this piece on the outer
pad of your second finger with the striking surface
facing up.
Take a wooden match and place the tip on the inner edge
of the striking strip. Place your right thumb on the
opposite end of the match and pinch the sides between
your first and third finger. Your second finger
protrudes out of the back but the overall appearance of
your hand should look as if nothing is there and your
thumb is merely touching the tips of your fingers. You
will have to extend you arm out to your side to achieve
this illusion.
To produce the lit match, apply pressure with your
second finger against the match tip by pressing down
and in, like you re trying to curl the finger inward,
but the match is resisting you. Now slightly curl the
thumb inward causing the match to shoot away from your
grip. Because of the angle of the match, the tip will
slide across the striking surface and light. As soon as
this happens, continue to move the second finger inward
toward the thumb and pinch the match at the bottom end.
You will now be holding a lit match between your thumb
and middle finger.
This will definitely take some practice, but it looks
amazing when you get it. Experiment with different
matches and striking surfaces. I have found that
grocery store matches are generally slightly thicker
than restaurant matches and therefore aren t as flimsy
and don t break as easily. The striking surface from
grocery store matches seems to work better too.
Warning: Practice this one outdoors, as you don t want
a flying lit match landing on something flammable. I
guess the same could happen outside though, so just be
careful with this one.
Sealed & Revealed
Nearly four thousand miles of open road; I didn t
expect it to be all that bad, however. I must have
missed the part in my contract that said cameraman and
 driver , as I somehow ended up doing the most of it.
Needless to say thirty days and one speeding ticket
later I never wanted to drive again.
It s crazy how much driving gets to you. It really
wears you out; at least it did me, as I was always
tired. Lots of coffee was consumed. Maybe if it wasn t
for all the haystacks the monotony wouldn t have gotten
to me, but it did. So thank you coffee.
This next idea came to me as I reached for a packet of
sugar and saw that it was opened at the top perforated
edge. I immediately got the idea of sticking a torn
corner of a playing card, or a signed coin, or a small
finger ring inside and somehow sealing it back up for a
reveal.
Later, after returning home, I discovered that it s a
very simple matter to open up any sugar packet like you
would a bag of chips and seal it back up with a glue
stick. Saliva works sometimes too but doesn t hold up
when in the hands of a spectator. I started to
experiment with different ideas that could be used and
came up with several decent effects.
One of the ideas uses a great effect by Daniel Madison
called  Angle Zero . The set-up is brilliant in that it
allows you to have a card freely selected. The corner
is torn off, shown, and visually vanished only to end
up wherever you want it. In this case, it ends up in a
sealed sugar packet.
 Angle Zero by Daniel Madison can be found in his
lecture notes TWO at www.danielmadison.co.uk or more
recently on his DVD, DANGEROUS at www.theory11.com
Please visit http://community.dananddave.com for
additional ideas using this principle and to list your
own.
Deliquesce
LOCATION: CAFE
Early one morning at a cafe, the four of us sat sipping
coffee and orange juice. I spread my cards out on the
table and offered a selection. A card was noted and
then lost back into the deck. I placed the saltshaker
on top of the cards and then took my paper napkin and
molded it around the saltshaker.
At this point no one knew what I was doing, but they
knew I had something up my sleeve. Out of nowhere, I
quickly raised my hand high above the table and slammed
it down on top of the covered saltshaker, which now
appeared to have vanished. I still hadn t said
anything, so they were kind of confused. I waited a few
more seconds and then slowly reached under the table
and pulled out the saltshaker as I slid the napkin off
the top of the deck.
Next, I slowly unscrewed and removed the top of the
saltshaker. As I poured the salt onto the table and a
folded card fell from the shaker. Van quickly reached
for the card out of amazement and there I sat with a
pile of salt in front of me.
Pre-Show:
Secretly grab a matching saltshaker from one of the
other tables. Go into the restroom and dump out half
the salt.
When you come back to the table, place the shaker in
your lap, held firmly between your legs so it doesn t
tip over, and remove the lid.
Now unfold your paper napkin and place it across your
lap.
Method:
After having a card selected and returned, control it
to the bottom with some false shuffles. Execute
 Mercury s Card Fold , a method for secretly folding a
card into fourths (Expert Card Technique, page 303) and
retain the card in finger palm. Set the deck on the
table and then reach for your glass of orange juice or
coffee as the hand with the selection comes to rest in
your lap and begins to load the card in the shaker.
Take a sip of your beverage for added misdirection. The
lid will be screwed on in a moment; so don t worry
about that at this point. It will help to position the
lid on top of the shaker.
As you finish sipping your beverage, bring the right
hand down to your lap and come back up immediately with
both hands holding the napkin. You want your audience
to believe you simply went down to your lap to grab the
napkin and nothing else, so do it casually and without
mention.
Mold the napkin around the saltshaker so that all sides
are covered. This vanishing saltshaker bit can be found
in nearly any introductory book on magic tricks. If you
don t know it, a brief explanation follows:
After the napkin has been molded around the shaker by
simply squeezing the paper around it, you will notice
that if you let go, the napkin will retain the shape of
the shaker. This mold is what creates the illusion the
saltshaker is in the napkin when in reality it is not.
Grip the napkin around the saltshaker with your right
hand and lift them both up off the table. As the left
hand misdirects by repositioning the deck in front of
you, the right hand casually moves toward the edge of
the table and relaxes. This will allow the saltshaker
to fall from the napkin mold, yet still appear as if
the right hand is holding on.
Place the empty napkin mold on top of the deck as the
left hand comes to rest in your lap and screws the lid
on the loaded saltshaker.
From this point simply follow the procedures described
in the effect description.
Credits:
Etienne Pradier has a similar effect where he passes a
wine bottle through a table then the bottle is revealed
to contain a signed card. With that said, I suggest
doing the above method with a signed card as well.
Autocatch
Here s a neat Sandwich effect using a variation of the
 Card Spring (The Royal Road to Card Magic, page 60),
but done on the table, we call it  Hover Spring. I
will first explain the flourish, as the rest is fairly
simple.
Hover Spring:
Grip the deck in end grip, fingers at the outer end and
thumb at the inner end. However, for this, your thumb
needs to be gripping the inner right corner of the
cards. Now execute a card spring, but spring the cards
off your thumb. Springing the cards off your fingers,
as some magicians do, will not work for this trick, so
use your thumb.
Before springing the cards, position your hand about
six inches above a table with a smooth surface, tilted
slightly to the right. The deck should be at a forty-
five degree angle to the table. Now if you spring the
cards to the left, you will notice they seem to glide
across the table. The left hand is used to scoop them
up. Practice this a bit to get it smooth. It really is
beautiful when done correctly.
Method:
Have a card selected and controlled to the top. Remove
the Jokers or two like cards and place them face up on
top as a break is obtained beneath the selection. Lift
up all three cards above the break with your right hand
as your left thumb peels off one of the Jokers. Place
the remaining Joker, making sure not to expose the fact
it s actually two cards, on top of the Joker just
peeled off. Now take all three of these cards and set
them on the table, keeping them aligned.
Now perform the  Hover Spring over the three cards on
the table. The friction from the spring will cause the
cards to spread and reveal a face down card between
them. Turn over the face down card and reveal it as the
selection.
Strawgami
I m not one for fast food but when you re on the road
for thirty days, restaurants can get quite expensive
and as Suren would say,  Guys, our budget has been
spent.
One gloomy afternoon somewhere in the dreary Midwest we
stopped at this burger-joint/gas-station for a bite.
Apparently they re famous for their one-pound
hamburger-eating contest. Yes, it was that kind of
place.
While waiting for our food, I took an opportunity to
perform an effect showed to me by Derek DelGaudio.
However, first I excused myself, as the trick requires
a little preparation.
During our meal when the chitchat had quieted, I spoke
up and said,  Here s a strange piece of origami I
learned in Japan.
I picked up a straw from the table, still in its
wrapper and proceeded to pass it through my fist. As it
emerged from my fist, the wrapper was seen to be on the
inside of the straw. I continued to pass it completely
through and my friends laughed. The moment turned and
the sun began to peek through the gloomy sky. For this
occasion, the magic wasn t about the miracle but about
the moment, and just enjoying a good laugh.
Preparation:
This will only work with clear straws. Remove the white
paper cover from a straw and twist it so that it
becomes thin like a string. Carefully undo the end of
another straw and slide the twisted paper wrapper
inside this straw. Once this is done it looks like just
a straw.
On returning to the table I grabbed a few straws and
casually set them down. The preparation was complete
and little did my friends know they were about to enjoy
something strange.
The method should be obvious - as the straw is passed
through your fist you simply retain the wrapper on the
inside of your fist. The cleanup is simple; it just
falls in your lap on the offbeat of handing out the
unusual object.
Shake & Bake
What follows is a quick and visual method for
accomplishing Doc Eason s  Anniversary Waltz.
In case you re not familiar with this effect I will
describe a method for getting into position (the
procedure) shown to me by Chad Nelson, which I believe
to be among the cleaner handlings. Also note that a
double-backer and a double-facer are required for this
effect.
Set-up:
From a face-up deck, set-up the cards as follows: (from
bottom up)
Face-up deck, Queen of Clubs, double-backer, Face-
down Queen of Spades, and double-facer.
Procedure:
Since the cards are signed I don t think it necessary
to force the selections, so in a casual manner I bring
each selection to the top to have signed, as follows.
Swing cut the deck a few times, catching a break above
the set-up. Spread through the cards and bring what
will appear to be a random card to the top, really you
just cut the cards at your break. Have the top card
signed and as you place the pen back in your pocket get
a little-finger break below the top three cards.
Perform a triple lift to show the back. Turn the triple
face down and deal off the double-backer into your
spectators hand.
Repeat the actions above, seemingly searching for a
random card. Lose the face down Queen of Spades into
the deck as you spread for the double-facer and cut it
to the top. Have the top card signed and as you place
the pen back in your pocket get a little-finger break
below the top two cards. Perform a double lift to show
the back. Turn the double facedown and deal off the
double-facer onto the double-backer.
You now have two cards resting in your spectator s
hand, a double-facer signed on both sides and a double-
backer. Pick them up with your right fingertips, thumb
on top and fingers below.
You will now convince your audience they re seeing both
sides of two normal cards by executing the following
display.
Pull in with your right fingertips and push out with
your right thumb. At the same time turn your left hand
palm-down and pinch the double-facer with your thumb
(below) and fingers (above). Both hands take one card
as you turn your left hand palm-up and your right hand
palm-down creating the illusion that both sides of the
cards are shown, really only the double-facer changes.
Repeat these actions as many times you see fit ending
with the double-facer on top.
Method:
During a waving action with the cards, slowly back palm
the bottom card, the double-backer, as the hand stops
waving. In concept, the two cards should seem to fuse
together, rather than the bottom card apparently
disappearing.
Offer the single card out for examination. When they
take it, your hand will appear empty. This magical
moment will allow enough time to secretly replace the
back-palmed card onto the deck.
Additional Notes:
If you re unfamiliar with the back palm please refer to
our On Demand section located at
http://store.dananddave.com for a complete tutorial on
this very useful tool.
Mannequin
LOCATION: 5TH AVENUE, NEW YORK
The last city we visited on our trip was New York. I
guess you could say we saved the best for last. Here we
took a break from filmmaking to take in the beauty that
is New York.
While walking down Fifth Avenue, doing some shopping,
we stopped for a moment in front of a department store.
I hadn t done any magic that day so I thought then
would be as good a time as any.
I spread the cards between my hands and offered Van a
selection. The card was noted and lost back into the
deck. I snapped my fingers, reached into my pocket, and
pulled out the selection. At this point, everyone acted
impressed, but I knew I had shown her this effect
before so I said I would do it again, but differently.
I shuffled the selection back into the deck and again,
after a snap, reached into my pocket...however, this
time I pulled out a...clothes tag. I myself acted
confused and I know Van was. I turned the tag over and
it read, BOSS. I took a step back and looked up at the
sign for the store we were standing in front of, it was
BOSS. I then spread through all the cards and asked Van
if she saw her card. As she agreed her card was missing
I pointed to a pair of pants on a Mannequin in the
window behind us. Protruding from the pocket was her
selection.
Pre-Show:
A duplicate card must be planted in the left pocket of
a pair of pants on display in a store window front.
Clothing stores in malls are perfect. You will also
need a price tag. I simply removed the one from the
pants; this made the transposition of the clothes tag
and card seem more real. This must all be done without
your audience s knowledge.
Place the clothes tag in your left pants pocket and the
card matching the one planted in the Mannequins
pocket, on top of the deck.
Method:
 Classic Force (Expert Card Technique) the top card
and control it to the bottom of the deck. Give the
cards a few false shuffles. Now make any kind of
magical gesture and reveal the selection in your left
pants pocket. This is accomplished by first palming the
card in the left hand then going into the pocket to
seemingly pull out a card when in fact you re really
just pulling out the palmed card.
Repeat the effect by apparently losing the card back
into the deck. In the action of a few shuffles and
cuts, control the selection back to the bottom and palm
it off as before. This time when you reach into your
pocket with the palmed card, leave it in the pocket and
remove the clothes tag.
The rest is presentation.
Notes
Notes
Notes