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PRECURSOR LXXVIII

This is PRECURSOR LXXVIII and is published in May 2001. PRECURSOR is edited by William P. Miesel and is published by unikorn magik. The editorial offices are at 2215 Myrtle Street, Erie, Pennsylvania, 16502-2643 (phone 814-454-8802). PRECURSOR will be published more than three times a year, and it will be sold for $21.00 (U.S.) for three issues.

Outside the United States, Canada, and Mexico, three issues are sent Air Mail for $25.00 (U.S.).

"T - G - G - P" stands for "Thank Goodness (for) Good Pals." My four good pals involved in this trick are (Nick) Trost, (Lou) Gallo, (Mike) Gallo, and (Gary) Plants. Nick Trost's trick, "Ace Turnover" appeared in the New Tops in October 1966. Lou Gallo saw it there and liked the effect and came up with his method. Lou's son, Mike Gallo saw Lou's trick and came up with a second method. When Mike performed this trick for Gary Plants, Gary saw a discrepancy and then came up with the third method.

Tom Hubbard's latest card trick, "Thanks Again Norman," is a "double revelation" of a freely selected card in one deck while apparently random cards in a second deck locate it. In order to cut down on set-up time and actually turn this trick into one that can be performed anytime, I have eliminated the pre-arrangement of the deck from which the card is selected. As a result, this deck can be used throughout your performance and the second deck, the stacked one, is introduced only for this trick.

Hideo Kato offers a version of the "Royal Marriages" entitled "Happy Couples." In this variation there are no strange looking counts, and the cards are legitimately mixed by the spectator.

The only moves that are required are ones that are very simple when performed with a small packet.

I am not a coin man, but I think that now is the time to develop some tricks that make use of the new State Quarters. Now, we had two card tricks in which these quarters took a part - 1 had one in Precursor LXXIII and Ed Eckl had one in the last issue, Precursor LXXVII. Still no real coin tricks. There are enough different State Quarters out already, and they will continue to come out at the rate of five different states per year over the next eight years, and they will continue to be in circulation for some time after that. Let's just consider my "Stately Match-Up" as that first step along the way.

"Spelling Secrets To Each Other" by Marty Kane is a spelling effect where two spectators each select a card and then lose it back into the deck. Each spectator now spells down in a packet and locates the other's selected card.

Mike Gancia's contribution, "The Anniversary Card," comes right out of his repertoire. A male member of the audience selects a card and signs it on the back. His mate also selects a card and signs it on the face. The two cards are passed through the deck and emerge as one card with a signature on each side.

This past summer, Russ Polizzi, Nick Trost, and myself were discussing Predictions, The Open Prediction, and Fifty-One Faces North. During this session, the inspiration for "Only To Me" came to Russ Polizzi. This routine was fully developed over the next few months.

William P. Miesel March 1,2001

T-G-G-P This routine consists of discovering the four face-up Aces, one at a time, and was inspired by Nick Trost's "Ace Turnover" in the New Tops, Vol. 6 #10. In this effect, the four Aces appear face up in the center of the deck, one at a time.

First Method 1. In this method, the four Aces start out face up under a face-down card on the back of the deck. This set-up can be prearranged or it can be gotten during previous tricks. For example, Larry Jennings' handling of the "Braue Reversal," as he used it in "The General Card" explained in the Classic Magic of Larry Jennings, is ideal here.

2. At some point previously, get the four Aces to the back of the face-down deck. Get a left little finger break under the four Aces. The right hand comes over the top of the deck and the right thumb takes over the break from the left little finger.

3. Upon transferring the break to the right thumb, the left hand can undercut the bottom half of the deck and move to the left. The right hand brings the left side of the upper packet under the right side of the lower packet and flips it face up in the left hand.

4. Slide the face-up packet on top of the right-hand packet, which is still held from above. The left hand now undercuts all the face-down cards from under the break. The four Aces are now face down on the bottom of the face-up packet held from above in the right hand.

5. Flip the face-down packet in the left hand face up with the right hand packet as in step #3.

Now, using the left forefinger buckle the bottom card of the face-up packet in the left hand, slide the right-hand packet into this break, and square the face-up deck.

6. Turn the deck face down in your left hand. The four Aces are now face up under the top facedown card. Give the deck a couple of false overhand jog shuffles retaining the top stock.

7. Cut off about ten or twelve cards from the top of the deck and in-faro them into the larger bottom half of the deck. The only cards that have to weave perfectly are the four Aces. Square up the deck.

8. Again, cut off about a dozen cards -just be sure that the four reversed Aces are in the top portion of the deck. This time, faro the larger bottom portion around the smaller upper portion so that the reversed Aces become, more or less, centralized in the deck. As before, only the faceup Aces and the face-down cards between them must weave perfectly. Stop - after the faro, do not square up the deck just yet.

9. At this time, the deck is telescoped with the smaller twelve-card packet out-jogged as shown below in Figure #1. The right hand now comes over the top of the telescoped deck and slides the out-jogged twelve-card about an inch to the right as shown below in Figure #2.

Figure 1

Figure 2

10. With the right hand still over the deck, the out-jogged packet is pushed between the right thumb and fingers until the front and rear edges are flush, but the small packet remains sidejogged to the right as shown in Figure #3.

Figure 3

11. The right hand remains over the deck and lifts it out of the left hand from above. It goes to the left side of the close-up pad and ribbon spreads the deck across the pad from left to right.

12. Because the packet containing the Aces is side-jogged to the right, the face-up Aces remain hidden under the spread. I don't know who should get credit this finesse.

Editor's Note: Even though this finesse has not been in print very often, it has probably been discovered by every cardman when he is learning the Side Steal. I know that I came up with it to hide a reversed card when I was learning the Side Steal around 1953. As a result this finesse