Jon Racherbaumer - Sticks & Stones, vol 6.pdf - J - animga

STICKS & STONES NUMBER 6

A leaflet for the left hand

Spelling the Gone Aces

Before "Spelling To The Aces" became popular, A lex Elmsley

created an effect wherein the Aces vanished, the deck was shuffled,

and the performer spelled to each Ace. That is, each Ace reappears

at the end of each appropriate spell.

This version was neither published nor widely distributed. Instead it

was passed from cardman to cardman, sometimes without any

acknowledgement to Elmsley. As we await a proposed Elmsley

book, perhaps it's best to establish the following routine before it

appears under a different name.

WORKING

1) Cull the four Aces and place them face-up in a row in the CHSD

order from left to right. Also place four 4-card packets face-down

onto the table, one below each Ace. Place the talon aside.

2) Insert each Ace face-down in their respective packets. The Ace

must go 2nd from the top. These insertions can be varied or you

can get the Ace into position by displacement techniques (open or

secret). You can also use Tilt. After each insertion, square the

packet and table it in its original position in the row.

3) Pick up the AD packet at your far right . Turn the cards face-up

into your left hand. Deal the cards face-up onto the table. Execute a

single Buckle on the 3rd X card, thus hiding the AD as you deal a

"double" onto the table. The last X card is snapped as a "single" as

it's dealt face-up on top of all. The AD will appear to vanish ala the

Collins Aces. Pick up the assembled packet and place it face-down

onto the talon.

4) Repeat Step 3 with each Ace packet, moving from right to left.

After each apparent vanish the packet is placed face-down on the

talon or deck. (Note: Some cardmen may prefer to use a Double

Pushoff technique instead of the Buckle action. This is a faster

procedure.)

5) Pick up the deck and give it an Overhand Shuffle consisting of

four runs. Run 5 cards and throw the rest of the deck on top. Run 6

and throw. Run 5 and throw. Run 7 and throw. Follow-up with a Jog

Shuffle.

6) Give the deck a perfect In-Faro shuffle. Now it's set for the

denouement. First spell to the Ace of CLUBS. Deal one card face-

down for each letter, including O-F. After the "S" card is dealt, the

next card will be the AC. This procedure is followed with each

remaining Ace as you spell AH - AS - AD, keeping to the CHDS

order.

AENOS

Not long ago Larry Jennings accused Marlo of ripping off one of his

tricks. Such claims and counter-claims have been around longer

than Harry Lorayne can remember. Ripping-off is one thing,

reinvention is another. T he accident or plan of reinvention is a

recurrent phenomenon in our literature. It happens so frequently

that it's a laughable cliche amongst inner circle cabalists and long-

lost old-timers with elephantine memories. And the act of

reinvention may or may not be innocent, but I leave such questions

to experts.

Here's the irony: Others claim that Jennings is "the biggest thief in

the business!" Harsh words... especially when coming from one's

home turf. Example: Jennings-Busby recently marketed an effect

called "Stabbed Coincidence". A well-known cardmen showed this

effect to Jennings a few years ago (in a slightly different, more

expert form) and included its workings in a manuscript submitted

for publication a couple of years ago.

I first read about "Stabbed Coincidence" in John Braun's "Hocus In

Focus" ( The Linking Ring -September, 1976). When I studied the

effect's description, knowing how Larry approaches card magic from

his past work, I guessed that he combined elements from his

"Prefiguration" and a Bill Simon subtlety. I also worked out some

methods to duplicate the basic effect, using techniques more

befitting to my performing style. The following version, although not

impromptu, is more staggering to laymen. Call it...

Four-Play

This version requires foreplay. The deck is "wired" but the results

are worth the time and trouble, especially if you use the set-up for

preliminary effects.

EFFECT- After performing a series of card effects, the performer

spreads the cards for a free selection. This card is placed face-down

as a "prediction card". Another card is taken and the deck is freely

divided into three portions. The 2nd selection is placed face-up onto

a portion and the cards are assembled. The deck is shuffled, then

ribbon spread face-down onto the table. The cards on both sides of

the face-up "locator card" are removed and shown. They are the

same value as the "locator card". Lastly, the "prediction card" is

revealed--it, too, matches the "locator card" for a four-way

coincidence.

WORKING

1) The cards are set in Si Stebbins. Perform some effects while

retaining the stack. (See Marlo's "Si Stebbins Sorcery" in

Hierophant .) False shuffle and cut.

2) Spread the cards between your hands for a free selection. Once

the selection is removed, say: "Don't look at this card. Place it face-

down on the table...it's going to be a 'prediction card'."

3) Separate the spread at the point the selection is withdrawn.

Place the right-hand cards below the left-hand portion in a casual

cutting action. You now have a 51-card deck. (Charlie Hudson, are

you listening?)

4) Split the cards for a Straddle Faro, making sure your right hand

cuts off the larger portion (26 cards). Faro shuffle these into the

smaller portion (25 cards). After the shuffle the situation is as

follows:

A) Assume the spectator removed the KH.

B) After the Straddle Faro, the KD will be on the bottom

of the deck.

C) The KS and KC are 25th and 26th from the top,

respectively.

5) Reverse Double-Cut the bottom KD to the top and force it on the

spectator for the 2nd selection. Use the Slip Force or Marlo K. M.

Move Force. The order of the deck will be retained.

6) Have the deck divided into three portions or packets. Use the

dribble procedure or straight cutting process. The layout should look

like the drawing below:

original bottom section original middle section original top section

KS-KC in this portion

7) Pick up packet A and hand it to the spectator for shuffling. Pick

up packet C and shuffle it yourself. Place packet C on the table and

ask the spectator to place his selection (KD) face-up on top. Then

ask him to place packet A on top of packet C, thus burying the

selection. Place combined A-C on top of B to assemble the deck.

8) Give the cards another Straddle Faro shuffle as in Step 4 with the

larger right-hand portion meshing into the smaller left-hand portion.

This action automatically puts the face-up KD between the KC and

KS.

9) Immediately ribbon spread the cards face-down and ask, "Do

you want the card to the right or left of your face-up selection?"

When he answers, add: "Do you mean to my____, or your______?

Or do you mean to my _____and your______? This bit of double-

talk points up a possible ambiguity , therefore say: "What the hell...

let's remove both cards!"

10) Disclose the cards to show a three-way match. Look at the

prediction card, then look at the spectator. Say, "You're ahead of

me already, aren't you? But you're not as far ahead as I've been all

along. .. You see... I knew you were going to end up with four

matching cards... The question is... How did you know?" Reveal the

face-down prediction card to cap the effect.

In the Jennings' procedure the prediction card is shown prior to the

stabbing business. I sense that the prediction card should be shown

last . It's obviously anti-climactic, but it's meant to be . The final

match is the capper. The double-disclosure is the surprise. The

predictive aspect is anticipated or suspected, but the final four-way

match completes the effect and eventually produces retrospective

puzzlement.

P.S. This effect comes free to The Club members. Think of the

money and aggravation you've saved!

- Jon Racherbaumer, September 12, 1976

EPIPLEXIS

A few years ago I privately published a very limited edition of a

work called Piddlings and Pettifoggery . It dealt with controversy and

apparently raised some hackles amongst those sensitive to such

matters. Bill Simon advised that the paper was aptly titled. He was

one of the few who realized the work, despite its dogmatic tone,

was light lampoonery.

Why shouldn't we look upon controversies with raised eyebrows and

harmless grins? When put into perspective, these squabbles don't

mean much to the average magician nor have they cosmic

consequences. The truth is seldom uncovered. Circumstances are

always confused, gross misunderstanding take place, and the now

standard rigamarole is acted out.

As mentioned earlier, Larry Jennings accused Edward Marlo of

stealing one of his pet card effects. Besides being an implicitly smug

assumption on his part, especially since the effect in question is

mediocre at best, Jennings should know the ins & outs of the

creative enterprise. He should accept and understand the

interrelatedness of ideas, the inevitability of some reinvention, and

how every cardman is influenced by the Already Established. This is

yesterday's news.

The Jennings-Marlo controversy surfaced in Pabular, letters were

exchanged, private telephone calls were made, and I eventually

drafted a 5-page letter to Fred Robinson. I never received a reply,

hence the matter is apparently closed. In the letter, however, were

some points worth repeating:

Once an effect, sleight, idea, or routine is published by someone,

prior claims are voices in the wind. An item established in print,

whether it's included in a book, magazine, or set of lecture notes,

becomes legitimized as part of an official Record. If a controversy

arises, the principal parties should resolve their differences on a

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