1

TRI

PSI

Jon Racherbaumer

March - 2000

© 2000 by Jon William Racherbaumer

2

CONTENTS

Hull-Scam

Hull-Quik

Into The World

Bright Future

3

HULL-SCAM

This is a variation of the R.W. Hull trick where an unknown card is placed aside,
a spectator thinks of any card in the deck, and later the unknown card turns out
to be the mental selection. In this variation, two selections are made. One is
mental, the other, physical. The performer finds the physical selection—say, the
Ten of Hearts—then rubs it against the unknown card, which turns out to be the
mental selection.

First, the bad news: There are two drawbacks in my procedure: (1) The physical
selection comes in contact with the unknown card, creating an causal link; (2)
The reason for putting the two cards together is weakly justified. The good news
is that the physical selection is shown before and after the unknown card is
disclosed and is ostensibly the same card. This dispels the suspicion that a switch
is made. This fact may be lost to lay persons, but it throws magicians for a loop.

Marlo added a physical selection to the Hull presentation, an approach
independently devised by T.A. Waters. This eliminates the dubious "magnetic-
influence card" and makes the second card a logical part. The either-or forcing
idea comes from Max Maven.

Requirements: A duplicate card that matches the deck in play. If you secretly
add it to a borrowed deck, retrograde analysts will be further stymied. Suppose
the duplicate is the Ten of Hearts.

Set-up: Start with both Tens of Hearts on top of the deck.

Method: Introduce the deck and perform a few shuffles. Retain the two Tens of
Hearts on top. Ask, "Are you familiar with the mind-body problem?" Casually run
the two Tens of Hearts to the bottom in an Overhand Shuffle and shuffle off.
Table the deck in front of a likely victim. Address the spectator: "Do you mind if I

use your mind?"

Ask the spectator to cut off about two-thirds of the deck, then have him pick up
the remainder and hold it face down in a dealing position. Say, "Notice I'm also
using your body. Please deal the cards face down to the table. Alternately deal them into
two piles." When the spectator finishes the dealing process, the top cards of the
two packets are the Tens of Hearts. Say, "You must pay close attention. I want you

4

to physically choose one of the packets and to peek at its top card. I don't want any

ambiguity here. The one you choose is the one we’ll use. Choose with deliberation."

Needless to say, the spectator is forced to pick one of the Ten of Hearts. Have the
spectator pick up the chosen packet and peek at the top card. Ask him to shuffle
the packet. In the meantime, pick up the other packet and drop it face down on
the talon. The duplicate Ten of Hearts remains on top.

Casually shuffle the talon, but retain the duplicate Ten of Hearts. Say, "As you
mix your cards, a weird impulse has seized me. I'm going to place another card on the
table. It doesn't matter which card. In fact, I'm not even going to look at it!" Deal the
duplicate Ten of Hearts face down in front of the spectator. Hand the talon to
the spectator and ask him to shuffle all the cards, saying: "The more you physically
handle the cards, the more they’re integrated into your subconscious thoughts."

Take back the deck and spread the cards with the faces towards you. Say, "Please
name the card in your mind." Suppose he names the King of Clubs. Immediately
say, "I knew that! Nobody believes me, but it's true. I also know which card you
physically picked." Casually cut the other Ten of Hearts to the top, then quickly
locate the King of Clubs and outjog it. Do not let anyone see it. Say, "Don't tell
me the name of your physical selection!" Place the King of Clubs on top, close the
spread, and flip the deck into a face-down, dealing position. Add, "No doubt
about it!"

Grasp the top two cards in a right-hand Biddle Grip and flash the face of the
card(s), saying: “Don’t say anything. If this is your physical selection, just nod your
head!” Immediately replace the card(s) face down on top and say, “I knew it!”

Take the top card (King of Clubs) face down into your right hand. Place the deck
aside and say, "You see, persons born on Wednesdays always pick the Ten of Hearts!"
The audience thinks you are being facetious. Say, "If I rub the Ten of Hearts
against this card. . ."

Use the face-down King of Clubs to scoop up the tabled Ten of Hearts, then
quickly shift the two cards around by transferring them from hand to hand,
ducking one under the other each time. Keep track of the Ten of Hearts, then
after several shifting maneuvers, turn the Ten of Hearts face up and continue the
shifting business. Continue the patter line: ". . .it exerts a strange influence."

The audience, including the spectator, will lose track of which one was originally
held. When they see the face of the Ten of Hearts, they think everything is okay;
nothing tricky has happened. Eventually table the King of Clubs and retain the
face-up Ten of Hearts in your right hand.

5

Pretend you forgot the name of the mental selection by asking, "By the way,
what's the name of the card you merely thought of?" As soon as the King of Clubs is
named, use the face-up KH to flip the King of Clubs face up and add, "I told you I
knew the names of both cards. You see, I was born on the fourth day of the eighth month
in a non-election year. It was a Monday!"

As the audience contemplates what ostensibly happened, palm off the duplicate
Ten of Hearts from the top of the deck. You are now clean. Or, if you are
synergistically-minded, use the duplicate in subsequent tricks.

HULL-QUIK

This has elements of the Hull Trick because you work One-Ahead; however, it is
quicker and convenient. Any deck can be used. Leave your duplicate cards at
home.

Effect: The magician removes a card from a borrowed, shuffled deck and places
it face down on the table. He asks a spectator, “Just guessing, what’s the name of
this card?” The spectator names a card -- say, the Two of Spades -- then the
magician asks him to select a card from the deck. The deck is shuffled and
another card is removed. The magician asks the spectator to name his selection.
Suppose he names the Nine of Diamonds. The magician shows the removed card
-- It’s the Nine of Hearts. He says, “Close enough, but no cigar! You, on the other
hand, have the power!” The card tabled at the outset is turned face up. It’s the
Two of Spades!

Method: Take the shuffled deck and glimpse the bottom card. Suppose it’s the
Ten of Diamonds. Say, “I’m going to remove a card, any card.” Spread the cards
with the faces toward you and quickly locate the mate of the Ten of Diamonds.
Remove the Ten of Hearts and place it face down on the table.

Ask the spectator, “Just guessing, what’s the name of this card?” Suppose he names
the Two of Spades. Add, “I also want you to think of a card.” Hold the deck face
down in your left hand and grasp the inner sides with your right thumb and
fingers. This is the grip used to perform a Hindu Shuffle.

6

Say, “I’m going to randomly shuffle through the deck...” Demonstrate by performing
a quick Hindu Shuffle, placing the last few cards back to the bottom. Repeat the
shuffle and say, “When I do this, just say ‘stop’...” When you are asked to stop,
show the face (bottom) card of the remaining stock to the spectator. He will see
the original bottom card (Ten of Diamonds). With your head turned away, say:
“Please remember this card.”

Drop the remaining stock face down onto the sloughed-off section and hand the
deck to the spectator. Have the cards shuffled, then take them back. Say,
“Sometimes I’m good at this.” Spread the cards with the faces toward you and
remove the Two of Spades, he card named earlier by the spectator. Do not show
its face, but look at it and say, “You chose a red card...a low red card.” This teasing
miscall is important.

Hold the Two of Spades face down in your right hand as your left hand tables
the deck. Look at the spectator and use the Two of Spades to scoop up the tabled
card. Ask, “What’s the name of your card?” Take the top card (10H) and
immediately toss it face up in front of the spectator. Say, “Close enough, but no

cigar!”

Hand the face-down Two of Spades to the spectator and say, “You, on the other
hand, have the power!” Ask him to turn his (?) card face up to cap this quickie.

Credit: This method is by Terry Lagerould. The excuse of having a second card
in play is convincing. Making the spectator look better than the magician at the
outcome is a winning strategy. Although the magician does not find the actual
selection, he comes close by removing its pseudo-mate. He shows fallibility (a
sympathetic quality), while showing partial powers. The spectator steals all the
thunder.

INTO THIS WORLD

This is another synergism. It applies a routine of locations by Edward Marlo to
suggest in a subtle way that the deck is mixed. After these locations are
performed, the handling nullifies any suspicion that the deck is set-up. In this
case, the Divided Deck arrangement of reds and blacks is retained.

As most of us know, location tricks are merely puzzles, primarily designed by
cardmen for the amusement of other magicians. They are not commercial fare.
Here they provide an atmospheric prelude, a demonstration to ostensibly
discover "psychic affinities" that may exist between the magician and another

7

spectator. As mentioned at the outset, its secret strategy is to subliminally
convince the audience that the cards are thoroughly mixed. More important, a
spectator does most of the mixing. This is decidedly different from a magician
false shuffling the deck

Set-up: Arrange the deck into Reds and Blacks (Divided Deck).

Method: Say, "I'm looking for someone who's mentally compatible. Somebody with the
right affinity." Position the deck for an Overhand Shuffle and perform the Ireland
Red-Black Shuffle by casually shuffling off small blocks until you reach
midpoint, whereupon a few cards are run-off one at a time, followed by shuffling
off to the end. This retains the Red-Black separation. Suppose the colors are in
the following order from the top: Red-Black.

Table the deck and cut it into three equal packets by cutting from left to right.
Leave the lower third at the left, leave the middle section to its right, then place
the top third further to the right. For the purpose of this explanation, mentally
number the packets from left to right 1-2-3. Packet 1 consists of Black cards.
Packet 2 consists of Red-Black cards (a mini Divided Deck). The Red section is at
the top. Packet 3 consists of Red cards.

Hand Packet 1 to a spectator on your left. Say, "You look like a perfect candidate.
Please shuffle this cards, then note and remember the bottom card." Point to the top of
Packet 2 on the table and add, "Place your packet on top of this packet." Hand
Packet 3 to a spectator on your right and say, "You look like a winner." Repeat the
instructions, then have him replace his packet onto the tabled portion. So far, the
procedure looks absolutely fair. Using key cards seems unlikely. The keying in
this case is color-separations.

Pick up the deck and glimpse the bottom card. Suppose it is the QH. Have one
of the spectators perform several straight cuts. Take back the deck and spread
the cards with the faces towards yourself. Quickly locate the QH and cut it back
to the face (bottom). The deck is divided into four Color groups. Their order
from the face is Black-Red-Black-Red. Ignore the first Black-Red group.

The first Black card of the third Group is the first spectator's selection and the
first card of the next Red group is the second spectator's selection. Separate the
spread at the first selection, leaving it at the face of the left-hand portion. Turn
your left hand palm down and thumb off the selection face down to the table.
Turn your left hand palm up and feed the left-hand Black cards onto the face of
the right-hand section. In other words, Black goes onto Black.

8

Stop when you reach the second (Red) selection. Separate the spread at this
point and thumb off the second selection face down. When your left hand turns
palm up, replace its Red cards under the right-hand cards. The deck is now
restored to its divided, Red-Black condition.

Reveal the selections and say, "Yes! Both of you are great subjects." Repeat the
process if you wish, saying: "Some skeptics say it's a trick! Others say its dumb luck.
Let's try it again." This time make the three packets by dribbling cards in
accordance to the spectator's wishes. Hold the deck in a right-hand Biddle Grip
and dribble or release cards from the bottom. Let them fall to the table and say,
"When I do this, say stop." By this time, all the cards have been released.

When you pick up the deck and start to dribble the cards, the first spectator will
stop you before you reach midpoint. This ensures that only one color is in the
first packet. Dribble some more cards, timing their release so that you pass the
midpoint. The rest is obvious. Repeat the selection-shuffling process and then
reveal the two selections to successfully end the second phase. Afterwards the
cards are still in a Divided Deck condition, yet you have subconsciously
implanted an important impression: all the cards are mixed. This is a passive,
indirect way to inculcate the impression which is absolutely convincing. As
David Williamson says, "There's a difference between belief and conviction." In
this case, the spectator is convinced that the cards are mixed.

You are then set to entertain with a version of “Out Of This World” or “Blown
Away.” Check out Marlo's version in Marlo's Magazine - Volume 6 (1988).

BRIGHT FUTURE

This is an abbreviated version of Marlo's "Double Proof Triple Prediction"
published in Marlo's Plus Package (1983). Initial inspiration came from Jack
Vosburgh's "The Future Deck."

Effect: Three cards are placed face down on the table and the magician says,
"I've written a prediction of the face of each card." The deck is held face up and
cut into three face-up packets. The packets are tabled and the spectator selects a
card from each one. Each selection is placed with one of the prediction cards.
When the pairs are exposed, the predictions match the selections.

Requirements: (1) A regular deck of cards; (2) A Sharpie pen.

9

Preparation: Choose three prediction cards. Suppose they are the QC-2H-9S.
Remove them from the deck and take out the AD-JS-4H. These will be the
“covering” cards, which also key the groupings of the prediction-cards. Take the
remaining forty-six cards and divide them into three groups of 15-15-16cards.
Make certain each packet is comprised of a varied mixture of values and suits.

Using the Sharpie pen, print "Queen of Clubs" on the right (white) side-margin of
the first 15-card packet. Place the unmarked AD at the face of this packet. Print
"Two of Hearts" on the side margins of the second 15-card packet in the same
manner. Cover it with the unmarked JS. Finally, print "Nine of Spades" on the
side margins of the third 16-card packet and cover it with the unmarked 4H.
Notice that the covering cards use the same keying system as the Ultra Mental
Deck. That is, a Heart keys a Spade and vice-versa; and the values of both cards
total 13. Therefore, in this effect the 4H keys the 9S, the JS keys the 2H, and the
AD keys the QC.

Set-up: Place the 9S-packet onto the 2H-packet and place these combined packets
onto the AD-packet. The assembled deck now has the 9S at the face (bottom).
Place the unmarked QC-2H-9S face down on top of the deck. The top card
should be the QC.

Method: Introduce the deck and hold it face down in your left hand. The printed
side of the prepared cards should be on the right. Say, "I've written three
predictions on the faces of three cards." Deal the top three cards face down from left
to right in a row. The QC should be at the left, the 2H in the middle, and the 9S
at the right.

Turn the deck over end-for-end and ribbon-spread the cards face up. The printing
will be hidden and the cards look normal. Say, "Three cards will be freely chosen."
Scoop up and square the deck. Hold the cards face up in your left hand and
position it for an in-the-hands Faro Shuffle. The left side should be towards you.
Add, “Let me divide the cards into three approximately equal packets.”

Riffle this side with your right thumb to sight the three key cards (AD-JS-4H),
each in turn as you cut and divide the deck into three face-up packets. Place the
AD-packet face up and aligned under the face-down QC. Place the JS-packet
face up and aligned under the face-down 3H. Place the 4H-packet face up and
aligned under the face-down 9S.

Pick up the first packet on your left and fan them to show a mixture. The
printing remains concealed. Close the fan, using a reverse action. This puts the
printing to the left. Flip the cards sideways and position them for an Overhand
Shuffle. Retain the unmarked AD on the bottom.

10

Spread the cards face down between your hands and ask the first spectator to
touch one. The printing is on the right. Outjog the selection and remove it with
your right hand. Slide it underneath the face-down QC and say, “Terrific
choice…” Square the cards and turn them over end-for-end. Immediately ribbon
spread them from left to right and add, “These are the other possibilities.” Square
the cards and leave them tabled face up. (The printing is on the right.)

Repeat the above actions with the second and third packets. Assemble the face-
up packets and ribbon-spread the deck from left to right. The printing remains
hidden. The printed predictions are now paired with their matching, unmarked
card. All that remains is to reveal the three pairs to show matches. Scoop up the
deck, add the matching cards, and put them away.

This is the expedient version of Marlo's handling. You may prefer to pretend to
write something on the three unmarked cards, using a dried-out Sharpie pen.
This slows the presentation at the outset, but adds verisimilitude to the marking
process. Sometimes I use another, previously marked card—say, a Joker—and
place it on top of the preset deck.

At the beginning, remove the dried-out Sharpie and the top four cards of the
deck. Hold the cards face down and transfer the Joker to the face. Hold the
packet with the face Joker towards yourself, then pretend to write a prediction
alongside its side. Trace the previously inked portion and blow on it as you
feign drying the ink. Show the face of the Joker and explain, "I'm going to write a
prediction on each one of these cards. . .like this. . ." Turn the face of the packet
towards yourself again, then toss the Joker aside. Say, "Since I've just exposed one
of the predictions, let's begin again." Next pretend to write on each card, feigning
the writing and blow-drying.