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Natural Card Magic
By Ryan Murray Natural Card Magic focuses on a rarely discussed principle that can be used to elevate impromptu card magic to a new level of impossible by allowing for an extremely hands-off approach to card control. The book takes a detailed look at possibilities opened up by using the principle, as well as the technical refinements that can make it more accessible to the practical performer.
Using the methods in this book, a borrowed deck can be prepared in front of the audience in such a way that a card or cards can be maintained under the magician's control even with a spectator shuffling the deck thoroughly. Although the difficulty level of initially learning the methods is very high, once the skill is acquired it can be used to great effect for fooling magicians and laypeople alike.
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Routines (click here for video demos)
After discussing the technical details for applying the principle, the third chapter explains the following routines, which make use of the methods described in the first two chapters.
Blind Location (video demo)
The spectator freely selects a card and shuffles it thoroughly back into the deck. The magician then takes back the deck face down and casually deals through the cards. Although the magician appears to be paying little attention to the deck, he is able to stop exactly at the selected card.
Impossible Location
An old sequence adapted for use with the principle. A selection is freely selected and shuffled back into the deck by the spectator, and then the magician is able to name the card before cutting directly to it. Also included is a version using two selections.
Lucky Poker Deal (video demo)
The magician removes a small group of cards that he considers to be the 'luckiest' cards in the deck, and the spectator chooses one to be his/her personal lucky card. After the packet is shuffled by the spectator, the magician deals out four hands and the spectator gets a four of a kind in his/her chosen pile, beating all the other hands. The fifth card in the spectator's hand is the chosen lucky card.
Mirrored
After a card has been selected and returned to the deck, the spectator divides the deck into two equal piles and shuffles each pile. Then the magician and spectator each take a pile and eliminate the cards down to one from each pile. The spectator ends up with the selection and the magician ends up with the mate of the selection.
Multiple Selection
A sequence with four selections making use of the Inverted Rising Card from Curious Weaving. The deck is placed in the box and the cards fall into the box leaving only three still sticking out. These are three of the selections, and then their values are added together to determine the location in the deck of the fourth selection.
Ace Cutting (video demo)
Two methods for cutting to the aces, or any named four of a kind, in a borrowed and shuffled deck. Spectator can shuffle as much as he/she would like to, and seconds after handing the deck back, the magician has cut to the first ace. The magician can then call out the suit of each remaining ace before cutting to it. With the second method, the spectator can choose in which order of suits the magician will cut to each of the remaining aces.
Epiphany
An extremely fair Topsy Turvy Ace routine. The deck is shuffled face up into face down and spread to show them genuinely mixed. The magician then cuts to an ace. After spreading the deck again to show the mixed condition of the deck, the magician sets the deck down and cuts to another ace. The magician then sets down the deck in front of a spectator asking him/her to cut the deck. When the spectator cuts the deck, it reveals the third ace. Finally, the magician spreads the deck to show every card straightened out except for the fourth ace.
After discussing the technical details for applying the principle, the third chapter explains the following routines, which make use of the methods described in the first two chapters.
Blind Location (video demo)
The spectator freely selects a card and shuffles it thoroughly back into the deck. The magician then takes back the deck face down and casually deals through the cards. Although the magician appears to be paying little attention to the deck, he is able to stop exactly at the selected card.
Impossible Location
An old sequence adapted for use with the principle. A selection is freely selected and shuffled back into the deck by the spectator, and then the magician is able to name the card before cutting directly to it. Also included is a version using two selections.
Lucky Poker Deal (video demo)
The magician removes a small group of cards that he considers to be the 'luckiest' cards in the deck, and the spectator chooses one to be his/her personal lucky card. After the packet is shuffled by the spectator, the magician deals out four hands and the spectator gets a four of a kind in his/her chosen pile, beating all the other hands. The fifth card in the spectator's hand is the chosen lucky card.
Mirrored
After a card has been selected and returned to the deck, the spectator divides the deck into two equal piles and shuffles each pile. Then the magician and spectator each take a pile and eliminate the cards down to one from each pile. The spectator ends up with the selection and the magician ends up with the mate of the selection.
Multiple Selection
A sequence with four selections making use of the Inverted Rising Card from Curious Weaving. The deck is placed in the box and the cards fall into the box leaving only three still sticking out. These are three of the selections, and then their values are added together to determine the location in the deck of the fourth selection.
Ace Cutting (video demo)
Two methods for cutting to the aces, or any named four of a kind, in a borrowed and shuffled deck. Spectator can shuffle as much as he/she would like to, and seconds after handing the deck back, the magician has cut to the first ace. The magician can then call out the suit of each remaining ace before cutting to it. With the second method, the spectator can choose in which order of suits the magician will cut to each of the remaining aces.
Epiphany
An extremely fair Topsy Turvy Ace routine. The deck is shuffled face up into face down and spread to show them genuinely mixed. The magician then cuts to an ace. After spreading the deck again to show the mixed condition of the deck, the magician sets the deck down and cuts to another ace. The magician then sets down the deck in front of a spectator asking him/her to cut the deck. When the spectator cuts the deck, it reveals the third ace. Finally, the magician spreads the deck to show every card straightened out except for the fourth ace.