First enjoy a fun new approach to card control, built especially for Search and Destroy – it will control a card to any number from the top of the deck. Then grab your copy of The Paper Engine and see if you can figure out exactly how I’ve adapted it from the original sleight. Reconstruct this and you’ll have a powerful tool almost entirely to yourself!
You’ve just seen a new application of my Outjog Herrmann Pass. Here’s how it came about.
While in Las Vegas for my birthday a few weeks ago, i got to session for a few minutes with Michael Close and Dean Dill. Both are great magicians, and each showed me different variations of my own tricks.
Dean’s idea really got me thinking. He gave me permission to share it with you.
He has a really smart way of getting into Search and Destroy. He simply spreads the pack face-up and has the spectator touch a card. As he displays the selection in the spread, he catches a left fourth finger break a few cards behind the selection. As he turns the deck face-down, a simple turnover pass controls the selection to the perfect position for Search and Destroy!
Dean’s idea got me thinking about using a face-up selection for Search and Destroy. The approach I came up with uses one of my favorite ideas from The Paper Engine. It’s very deceptive and requires very little tension. After you watch the video, drop me a comment and let me know what you think. I’m really curious to know!
Hint: If you want to reconstruct this you’ll have to be clever!
Please remember, the selection is only reversed so you can better appreciate the control. In real performance, you simply ask a spectator to touch a card and then cleanly push it flush with the deck. You’d then cleanly turn the deck face-down, with no moves, and begin the effect.
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
Aaron,
The sleight is beautiful, but I still prefer the original method. Here’s why:
I start out with doing a packet trick and tell them they will be doing the same thing after me. Having the person select a card is what they are used too, it is what you have conditioned them to do. The effect is already being altered the second time, (compared to the simple packet catch) but the beginning is the same, only with a spectator believing they will be doing it. By changing the beginning, they realize from the start they are doing a different trick, and although the effect is still great, they are not going to see the sleight anyway. I would say simplicity wins in this case.
Just my opinion, let me know if you have any other thoughts.
-Matthew Knippen
HI
it’s a very good control
felicitation
Hi Aaron,
Very very neat. I`ll need to check out the book.
The sound track was really nice too. Who was the artist/song
Regards,
John
Lovely
I think it is a good control for search and destroy. But i will use the original.
I try to avoid doing passes.
Lovely move Aaron. I don’t know if the method I have worked out is the same as yours but the end result is the same. Spread face up till a card is selected; upjog it then continue briefly spreading taking a break under the 3rd (or whatever) card from the selection; square deck holding break; move card to the requisite angle for the Outjog Hermann pass, taking a break under the top card as you complete the squaring and angling move. You now have the selection projecting at an angle face up with a pinky break three cards beneath it and a break under the top card held by your 3rd finger. Turn deck over to show projecting selection as normal for the move; tutn deck face up again; pick up break under top card with crotch of thumb and perform the Outjog Pass, moving out all cards under the 3 card break and replacing them under the top card. Push selection into the deck. Turn deck face down. The selection is 4th from the top.
I also came up with an effect as follows. Have card selected, injog top card and replace selection under it, both injogged; in the act of moving the cards forward to square the deck, obtain break under both cards with crotch of thumb and perform your Half Pass; this is done as one continuous move, is smooth and invisible. You now have a face up deck with the two top cards face down so nothing appears to have changed – you have simply apparently replaced the selection on top and squared the deck.. Remove the face down top card which spectators believe to be the selection and place it in the middle of the deck, leaving it outjogged at the required angle; immediately perform the Hermann Outjog Pass without turning the deck over as the bottom card will be seen to be face up. Your hand covering the deck, the cards are hidden and as you take your hand away, the top card is seen to be face up. Now perform a full deck Asher Twist move as you spread the deck, to turn the bottom card over and the whole deck is seen to have instantly turned face up, all but the selection which is face down in the middle. It is a very dramatic full deck colour change in performance with the selection remaining face down as replaced.
Best wishes
Archie
Hey Aaron, very nice adaptation to this sleight. As for the effect of Search and Destroy, I still prefer the original method. Mainly because I cannot do a good pass clean enough for my purposes. Anyway this is a very good idea and will help a lot of people to get into the move
This knew version looks very nice and even more impossible, but I prefer your original simply for it’s simplicity and instance, there’s absolutely no mucking about it.
When it comes to the effect Search and Destroy I think I’d have to agree with Mathew Knippen, I don’t like to change procedure at such a high point of attention i. e. when you tell them that they’re gonna do the magic. They might be nervous or whatever, but most of the time I do the effect I have their fullest attention.
I’ve worked out an unusual sandwich effect for your Outjog Herrmann Pass if anyone cares, I’d like to hear some thoughts about this:
You’d start out by producing or just by extracting a favourite pair of yours, for the sake of explanation lets say they’re the two red kings.
They are placed face-up, one on the top, the other on the bottom.
You have a card touched from a spread in between your hands and execute something like the Convincing Control or the DMB Spread Control and cull the sellection to the bottom, even below the lower most king.
Leave the selection outjogged and explain that the goal is to make it end up between the two kings but in a magical manner. As you do so you can side jog the lower most king to display, but more importantly get the outjogged card in this slightly unconventional position.
You should now be holding the deck squared, apart from the selection, in overhand end-grip.
As you now execute the Outjog Herrmann Pass use yout right hand to cover the top card and in the same motion tilt the entire deck 90° to the right, by simply relaxing at the wrist.
As you then pretend to squeeze the deck with both hands turn your hands even further to the right and let the deck lay face-up and flat on your right hand’s palm, as you say the first king has vanished.
Now snap your left hand fingers turn the deck over and show the second king gone.
You can now spread the cards and show the two kings face-up in the center with one card sandwiched in between.
cheers,
Caspar
Interesting.
I’d have cut the music to match the length of the routine.
It was a bit distracting because
listening to the lyrics, you expect more from the routine.
Nice illusion.
I have your book (and the dvd) so I will look that up.
And of course: Beautifully performed.
(“We” need a better ‘hand gesture’ than just that little wrist shake.
It’s cute but not really ‘magical’.
I’ll work on that and get back to you
in Vegas late August.)
Very Nice
What kinda cards are those??
P.S. Very clever.