Introduction - From Bill Abbott
"When I was in high school I was doing a lot of shows on the weekends and most of those shows were mixed audiences of kids, adults, teenagers and seniors. I needed an opener to get everyone's attention, hold their attention and keep their attention. The problem with the standard six or five card repeat is there is a lack of any real conclusion or finale to the effect. I wanted to have a genuine eye-opener that took the audience by surprise. That's when I began working on the Five Card Opener."

The Opener
"The "opener" of any act is a tough choice for any performer. How do you get everyone's attention and hold their attention as well as amaze and entertain them all at the same time. This is my solution to this eternal question. The Five Card Opener gets the audience's attention. The Five Card Opener holds their attention. The Five Card Opener amazes. The Five Card Opener entertains. In addition to all this the Five Card Opener will work for any audience."

What is the Five Card Opener
"The Five card Opener has it's roots in the classic five/six card repeat but it's similar only in method (slightly). The Five Card Opener is a completely fresh approach with three sequences that build with a definitive climax that is a big surprise. It has been my "talking" opener for the past 20 years and l use it at all of my magic shows. Corporate shows, family shows, college shows, etc. The Five Card Opener can be a whole new way to make your show fun!"

The "Real" Secret
"The real secret behind the Five Card Opener is that it is an audience response 'conditioner'. I have had corporate audiences (almost asleep after a long banquet and two hours of awards and speeches before my show) up and out of their seats at the beginning of my show using The Five Card Opener. It sets the tone for how the audience responds to the ending of each effect/routine because it also acts as a call back. There is a verbal trigger that the audience responds to every time you say it during the show, and they will react however you expect/direct them to. The Five Card Opener makes triggering applause throughout the show in all the right places easy, natural and above all fun. For example you can have the audience shout out a corporate slogan, perform a standing ovation, a specific school cheer, a company name, etc."

Simple To Do & Gets Reactions
"I know in performing this off the top of the show, I will not have any mediocre reactions to any of my effects because I'm giving them an outlet to respond in a big way. And they do. Even the most jaded ones. For the working performer you could literally 'drop' this into your show the next day. It's big and visual and takes up very little room for a routine that plays to such large crowds. There are no angle restrictions. No special lighting or staging considerations. Work away from tables and out of your pockets, making an instant connection with your audience. And the best part is that it's so easy to do. Basically, if you have opposable thumbs (which means your not a monkey!) you can perform The Five Card Opener." - Bill Abbott

Included Props
Handmade gimmicked Bicycle Playing Cards in poker-size with wallet.
Handmade gimmicked Jumbo Playing Cards for audiences from 100-1,000.
Portable/collapsible free-standing container to keep the cards in pristine condition, to be sure your stage is clear and to really sell the mysterious climax of the routine!

Instructional DVD Featuring: A LIVE college performance of the routine. A LIVE family performance of the routine. A detailed routine handling of both the poker and jumbo-sized cards The "real" secret of the Opener with all the psychological subtleties to make this routine play as strongly for you as it does for Bill. Alternate Performance and Handling Ideas:

• Breast Pocket Only
• "Messy" Poker Presentation
• Jumbo Cards and Table
• Jumbo Cards and Pop-Up Basket