19 MEMORIZED SEQUENCE

MEMORIZED SEQUENCE

by Jean Devriès

“Card at Number” is a great theme in Card Magic. The present trick is inspired by H. Trixer's “Photographic memory” described in the basic book of T. Corinda “The Thirteen Steps To Mentalism” (translation in French by R. Vollmer, Ed. Magic Dream). Here is a simple version more natural and very clean. A “mistake” discovered in the counting of the cards finishes persuading the spectator that the performer has a memory out of the ordinary.

Effect. The spectator himself shuffles the deck. Then the cards are ribbon spread, face-up, across the table. The performer learns the card order. After closing the spread and holding the deck, face-down, in hand, he asks the spectator to propose a number between 10 and 30. The performer announces the identity of the card positioned at this number. But it seems that he goes wrong. In reality, a second verification reveals that one card more had been counted by mistake: the announced card was positioned just before it (i.e. exactly at the proposed number) (see Video).

Performance.

Begin announcing you are going to do a special exercise of memory which has required a regular mental preparation.

Give the deck the spectator to shuffle. As you retake the deck, turning it face-up, glimpse the bottom card in second position. Let's assume it is the Five of Hearts (Photo 1). Immediately ribbon spread the cards from left to right across the table, taking care not to expose the memorized card at the right end of the spread. As you point your left forefinger along the ribbon pretend to be learning the card order (Photo 2). Stop after covering about three quarters of the spread only (under the pretext you are not at the top of your form today!...)

Now close the spread and take up the deck, turning it book wise, face-down, into the left hand. Ask the spectator to propose a number between 10 and 30. Let's assume his choice is 19. Then pretend to reflect on the memorized card sequence for a few seconds and announce: “I am sure the card in Nineteenth position is a red Five...I think of the Five of.....Hearts!” As you patter get a left pinky break above the two bottom cards (Photos 3a, b).

The right hand comes over the deck, and, as it grasps the ends in Biddle position, the break is transferred to the right thumb (Photo 3c). Then without faltering, use your left thumb to peel cards, counting them mentally, one card at a time, into the left hand (Photo 4), but at the beginning peel them rapidly enough to not allowing the spectator to follow the process. As you are nearing the proposed number reduce the peeling- rhythm. Arriving at the number minus one (i.e. in the example, 19 – 1 = the 18th card) the left hand deals the corresponding card onto the centrer of the table (Photo 5a). Say: “The Five of Hearts!”, and move back the hand beneath the deck in right hand (Photo 5b). Just at this instant the right thumb releases the two “broken” bottom cards onto the left hand packet (Photos 5c, d). In the continuity point the right hand packet to the tabled card (Photo 5e), inviting the spectator to turn it over for verification. Evidently it is not the good card (for example 9S, Photo 6), and perhaps the spectator will speak ironically about the performer's failure...

Seem to be momentarily confused, and say: “It's impossible!...You had proposed the number Nineteen....,just so!...Let me see...” As you deliver this line put the right hand cards aside onto the table (Photo 6). Pick up the left hand packet from above in Biddle grip (Photo 7). Then, slowly with the left fingers, “draw” the bottom cards to drop them, counting aloud one card at a time, onto the table (Photo 7). The last card will correspond to the spectator's number. Keep it in hand (Photo 8) and say: “There was a mistake...Here is the Nineteenth card!...The Five of Hearts!” Drop the card, face-down, onto the centre of the table. In the continuity retake the wrong card to put it back (face-down) onto the rest of the deck aside and say: “That one is the next card, the Twentieth!”... (Photos 9a, b).

Conclude inviting the spectator to verify the identity of the last dealt card (Photo 10)...