CARD MEMORIES

CARD MEMORIES By Richard Robinson The magician hands the spectator a packet of nine playing cards. He asks the spectator to mix the cards then spread them face up on the table. He then asks the spectator to mentally choose one card, concentrate on it for a moment, collect up the cards and mix them again. Removing three coins from his pocket which he places on the table, the magician deals the cards into three face up piles. The spectator is told to note which pile his selected card is in and place a coin in front of that pile. The magician gathers up the cards and deals them out again, again asking the spectator to place a coin in front of the pile containing his card. The magician repeats this dealing for a third time and again instructs the spectator to place the last coin before the pile of cards containing the one he is thinking of. Gathering up the three piles, the magician deals three cards face down on the table and places one coin on the back of each card. He asks the spectator to point to a pile. The spectator does so. The magician gathers up the other two coins and places them on the selected pile. He puts the two unselected cards back in the pack, presses on the coins for a moment, then turns over the only card on the table. It is the card mentally selected by the spectator. Props & Setup Nine playing cards, three coins. The coins can be borrowed from the spectator. Handling

The coins are positioned by the spectator to indicate on each deal which pile contains the thought of card. How many coins are in front of each pile will depend on the location of the card as you deal.

This is a self-working effect using a simple principle that is completely obscured by the introduction of the coins which have absolutely nothing to do with the working. For that reason you should put as much focus and emphasis on the placement of the coins as you can, handling the cards as if they had little to do with the effect. Give the cards to a spectator to mix, mentally select one card, mix again then return the cards. Deal the cards into piles of three as explained below, each time a deal is completed have the spectator place a coin in front of the pile currently including the thought of card. The cards are dealt out from left to right into three piles. The first card going on the left pile, the second on the center pile, the third on the right pile, the fourth on the left pile and so on in rotation left to right until each pile contains three cards. Whichever pile the spectator marks with a coin becomes the center stock when you pick up the piles to reassemble them into a packet for the next deal. For instance, if the spectator puts the coin in front of the center pile, the right or left pile is picked up first, the center pile then added under it and the remaining pile added under that. The selected card (in this case the Six of Diamonds) is the middle card of the top three after reassembling the packet from the third deal. For the first two deals, the three cards that include the selected card are placed between the other two piles when the packet is assembled. After the last deal, the pile containing the selected card goes on top of the other two piles when the packet is assembled. After the third deal the selected card will be the middle card of the last pile marked by the spectator. When you pick up the piles this last time, assemble the packet so that the three cards from the marked pile are on top of the packet. Now deal out the three cards face down onto the table from left to right. This puts the selected card in the center. Ask the spectator to place a coin on the back of each card. The Revelation

There are three possible endings, although only one out is needed. Tell the spectator to touch one of the coins (not one of the cards.) If the spectator touches the center coin, take the two other coins and add them to the center card, then take the cards on the left and right and return them to the packet.

If the spectator touches either the left or right coin, take that coin and put it on the center card. This leaves two coins on the center card and one coin on another card, the result will be as pictured, with one card taken away, the center card with two coins on it and the other random card with one coin on it.

Tell the spectator to point to another coin. This is a bit of a psychological force. Say 'Coin.' No matter what the spectator points to, take the single coin and add it to the two on the back of the center card. This approach makes the classic magician's force impossible to detect. Touch the coin(s) on the card as if pressing lightly on them, then slide the card out from under the coins, turn it face up and leave it on the table. Move back a bit and let the spectator focus on the card. Performance Notes The surprising impact of this effect may tempt you to repeat it. Don't.