Magic Tricks

From the author of "The Full Facts Book of Cold Reading," an ingenious card trick.

The ad describes it perfectly: use someone else's cards. The spectator shuffles. No switches. No crimps, no breathers, or anything else. No memory, no difficult sleights. (No sleights period, arguably.)

You will deal straights, boats, four of a kind, etc.--but not like Ricky Jay or Richard Turner might. Thetalia relies on two very simple moves (you can throw in display moves, flourishes, and cuts, if you feel the need). From then on, it's up to you. As Rowland says, quite a few times: the fact that this trick is "impromptu" does not mean anything is left to chance. You just need to be flexible.

He recommends--and I can see why--that you practice it alone, just to see how the cards come up, and what you can do with them. The only thing I can think of that might put some people off--you have to be prepared to think on your feet, and you have to want to have fun with the spectator.

Oh, and one other thing: you have to accept the fact that the spectator doesn't know what you intend to do. You have to be able to sell the fact that everything is going according to your plan. Viewed from this perspective, the trick is one big exercise in misdirection--make that direction. You will be directing the spectator's perception of what's going on at all times. What you do, and what the spectator sees, are two very different things.

For something so technically simple to have such a potential for frying the spectator's mind...I'm very glad I bought it.