Absolute Zero Evolution
By R. Paul Wilson
Absolute Zero has been a very popular effect since it was first published back in 1994. In
order to have a self-working effect on my Knock Em Dead video, I included it as a bonus item.
Many people have told me how much it fooled their magic friends but for me it has always
been a part of my laymen set. It fools them just as much as it fools magicians and is solid
entertainment for the real world.
Absolute Zero is something I actually use to maintain a red/black set-up (part of the method)
for another routine in my act. In truth I have also been using an impromptu version for some
time now, which you are about to learn.
A.Z. Evolution is so simple you re going to want your money back! The few people I ve tipped
this to have laughed when I showed them how incredibly simple the secret is. Despite this it
fools people very badly indeed. Lets go over the conditions:
ANY shuffled deck may be used.
You NEVER look at the face of a single card.
You can perform the entire trick blindfolded.
The spectator cuts three piles, shuffles them, selects a card, loses it amongst the shuffled
packets then cuts so you can't possibly estimate  all while your back is turned (or you re
blindfolded).
You take the deck and find the card INSTANTLY. No fishing, no uncertainty  you have the
card as soon as you have the deck.
Okay  the secret is below. If you have seen me do this you already know how it feels. If not
STOP NOW and think about it. Those conditions are genuine.
As with everything from the Circle Of Confidence (www.rpaulwilson.com) all I ask is that you
use this in good faith and never reveal the secret to your magician friends (if you are feeling
generous, simply point them towards the website  they ll thank you).
The secret:
Borrow a deck of cards, keeping them face down. They may shuffle as much as they like
before giving them to you.
Give the cards a brief shuffle.
Put a concave bridge into the deck (Fig. 1), bending the long edges upward, as you talk. This
doesn t need to be too strong (an alternate approach to bridging the deck is given at the end).
Hand the deck back. Be very careful to handle the cards naturally and never look at the faces.
Fig. 1
Extend your left hand and ask them to give you about a third of the deck. Ask them to cut the
same amount from their balance. As they do this you bend the long ends of the deck
downward to create a convex bridge in this packet (Fig. 2).
Fig. 2
Table your packet to the left as you take the second packet and immediately table that to the
right of the first. Have the spectator place their cards to the right of the other two packets and
you are ready to go.
The three packets are all slightly bridged. The two on the right have a concave bridge while
the far-left packet is convex.
Turn to your left, looking away from everything but ensure that you can just see the packet on
the far left (the convex packet).
Ask the spectator to pick up the middle pile and shuffle it. When they are done, tell them to
replace it.
Now ask them to pick up either of the other two packets. Stress that this is a free choice.
It is important that you see whether or not they take the packet on the far left. If the left packet
doesn t move, you know they took the other packet.
Have them shuffle the second packet. At this point you know which cards they are holding
and don t need to see any more so feel free to genuinely look away.
Have them replace the second shuffled block onto the middle packet and then peek at the top
card of this double pile.
Make sure they leave their selection on top of the double pile. Ask them to pick up the
remaining packet and shuffle it too. When they re done, instruct them to drop the third packet
onto the pile, pick everything up and give the deck a complete cut.
Turn around and take the cards.
You are about to find the card instantly.
When I get the deck I usually ask if they cut the deck at the end and I give the cards a
complete cut around the middle of the deck.
Now look down at the deck. If you look at the short edge nearest you, you should see a
convex block sandwiched between two concave blocks (Fig. 3  this is highly exaggerated).
You may see a large (two-thirds of the deck) concave block between two small convex
blocks. Simply cut the deck again if this is the case (you won t need to do this once you
understand how to get the card).
Fig. 3
Here s the key:
" If the second pile they picked up was on the far left (convex), the selection is the top
(uppermost) card of the convex block. Simply cut the convex block to the top.
" If the second pile was on the far right (another concave block) it is the card directly
beneath the convex block. Simply cut the convex block to the bottom of the deck.
The selection is now the top card of the deck and you may continue any way you desire.
Now, grab a deck and put one hell of a concave bridge in it. Cut off a third and hit that packet
with the mother of all convex bridges.
Go through the procedure described so you see it all for yourself. Once you understand it, you
can locate the selection instantly, no matter how the deck is cut.
The secret to this trick is putting just enough work in to make the trick sure-fire. Too much
work and it ll be seen.
Once I have the selection I shuffle the deck, palm their card and have them shuffle some
more. I can load the card under a drink, in my wallet or stick it to my head. The result is
extremely baffling!
If you have a blindfold that allows you to peek the left-most packet while you are supposedly
blind, you can use that for the whole trick. The same blindfold will allow you to see the bridges
after the selection procedure too!
Another approach is not to touch the cards until they hand you the first third of the deck and
simply crimp that packet. If you do this, be careful not to over-crimp the packet. I like to look at
their deck and gauge whether it is naturally bowed downwards or upwards at the sides. I bend
the key packet the other way (if the deck appears to be convex, I bend the packet in a
concave manner  and vice versa).
The key to this trick is that you have their card much quicker than they expect so feel free to
use that to your advantage. Make the revelation seem mathematical or flash the wrong card
as you remove any card from the deck, using a top change to switch it before dropping it to
the table.
Use this well and you ll have a lot of fun with it. Impossible locations are best kept secret;
you ll be DYING to tell someone but please resist. Tell them where they can buy it and they ll
be sure to respect the secret as much as you.
Best,
Paul.