I Just Had Another Idea... "Mirror Mirror"

Michael Kras · I Just Had Another Idea... "Mirror Mirror"

I am literally sitting here putting this idea together as I type. I shall explain.

A deck is brought out... it can be borrowed. The spectators himself removes the deck from the box, and shuffles it. The cards are given to the magician who fairly begins to deal cards face up onto the table. He request that the spectator to stop him whenever she feels the urge to. Where she says stop is really where the magician stops dealing. The card stopped at is revealed to the spectators, in the fairest manner, and the magician genuinely never looks at the card at all. It is fairly cut into the deck, no breaks, everything up to now has been FAIR. Let me ease your fluttering mind up to this point.

-Shuffled deck, no set up before, after, or during the shuffle.

-Cards are genuinely dealt fairly with no second dealing or bottom dealing

-The cards are genuinely stopped wherever the spectator wishes. No packet turnovers or card switches whern the stopped-at card is given to the spectator

- No breaks, crimps, or controls when the card is returned, the card is genuinely cut into the deck... no key cards, glimpses, or peeks.

Anyways, back to the effect. The card has been genuinely lost and the deck is cut numerous times... it can even be cut by a helpful spectator. Despite the fairness of everything, with absolutely no sleight of hand, stacks, or other cheating techniques, the magician knows the exact position of the thought of card in the deck. This is proven by the spectator himself dealing to the named number and discovering the freely selected card at it.

I forgot to mention... no forces either.

Thoughts? Theories?

Ben Train

The problem with this is that it isn't so much WHAT is it, but rather what ISN'T it.

Michael Kras

Are you referring to the effect itself only, or both that and methods that meet the same requirements as I have laid out?

Liam

i think he means that it ISNT a force
it ISNT a stack
but really it should be thing, not shouldnt be things

like...
is it the same to do a good thing then it is to not do a bad thing?

Ben Train

No...

I mean you're asking us to guess methods, and there are many. I need more conditions before it becomes a problem.

Now, finding the best solution is hard.

Michael Kras

Conditions:

Borrowed deck, shuffled by anyone in the room as much as they would like.

Either spectator or magician can deal through the cards, and can stop whenever they want.

Selection is not forced, nor is the identity at all known by the magicians.

No peeks, glimpses, psychological work.

Card fairly lost in deck, no breaks or controls of any sort. Card can be cut many times, even by the spectator of the magician desires.

Without looking at any faces, feeling sides of deck, glimpsing, counting, or using sleights of any kind, the magician knows exactly where the card is positioned in the deck down to the exact card.

No sleights or controls are executed during the counting procedure and a spectator may do it, discovering the thought of card at that very location in the deck.

Reuben The Great

Hey everybody,

Mike has explained the method to me, and very, very clever I'll tell you.

All I'll say is you guys are thinking too hard.

Michael Kras

Thank you Reuben, glad you like the concept!! I'm still working on it, trying to find some powerful uses rather than "Your card is at position___".

The method is very straightforward yet a tad complex at the same time... it requires your mind to be working full speed the entire time as well. I can;t say much more than that. I'll try to ring out all of the conditions.

Deck is borrowed and shuffled by a spectator, magician doesn't touch it.

Spectator fairly deals cards and stops at selection anytime they want, free choice of card, no forces.

The card is cut into the remaining stock of cards, no glimpses, peeks, crimps, breaks, or swtiches of any kind, it is genuinely lost and the magician genuinely doesn't know the card's identity.

All cards are assembled, cards are cut numerous times by both magician and spectator.

After all fairness, without looking at the faced AT ALL, the magician instantly knows the exact position of the selection in the deck, despite the fairness.

No marking, gimmicks, nail nicks, short cards, thick cards, stripper principle.

Ben Train

Does the method rely on a number being subtracted from 52 to find the location, and can you be out of the room when the card is selected and lost?

There is a super clever handling for such a premise, which we'll talk about this weekend!

Ben

Michael Kras

To be honest, a bit of the method relies on mental math but due to the manner in which the selection is lost back in, there's quite a bit more to it than subtracting from 52.

I am eager to talk about it!

Liam

would you consider the mental work harder or easier than that of diplopia?

Michael Kras

Much, much easier than Diplopia, but still rather difficult.

Ben Train

The mental work, in diplipia, shouldn't be hard.

Are you clocking 10 or 13?

Ben

Michael Kras

I clock 10, but for some reason I feel so rushed to get through it all that I sometimes miss a card or add incorrectly.

Ben Train

What source did you learn the system from?

Michael Kras

The Diplopia manuscript is where I learned it from. How does that have an effect on it?

Ben Train

When we hang this weekend I'll show you why, and rock your world.

Michael Kras

I'm looking forward to it!

Liam

i learned it from Paul himself
i admit its not hard, but when he does it its around 6 seconds.
its hard to do fast, and if you dont it looks suspicious

Ben Train

I've had the pleasure of seeing Paul do it live, Paul Cummins do it (who invented the effect) and talk to Harry Lorayne about it (the first to publish the system), and I can tell you if you KNOW the correct way to do it (and there IS a right way to do it) then it should take you about 15 seconds to get, with no sweat.

The problem is that most people DON'T know the system, and it becomes hard/slower.

Now, here's a better question- whats the presentation you use for it?

Ben
p.s.
Mike, can you bring Paul's write-up when we meet up? I just want to see something.

Liam

Michael Kras

Vigil presented a VARIATION on the original Cummins effect.

15 seconds, really? I bought the ebook for Diplopia and if I can find it, I will print off the cloocking section and bring it on saturday.

The presentation and justification I use for the clocking procedure is presented as trying to find the spectator's thought of card. Because it takes me an upwards of 30 seconds to clock the deck, I act as though I am having difficulty tracking down the spectator's thought of card.

Michael Kras

I've been taking time to streamline this effect along with a few others of mine that required tweaking. For this one, the handling has been much improved. No more estimations and heavy mental math.

Ben Train

Last time we got together you were unable to show it to me. Will you be coming to the Browser's Den Party in November, and will you be able to show it to me there?

Michael Kras

Likely... if I do end up going. Can't be sure at this point.

Ben Train

Well, for anyone interested:

I'll be there, in a good mood (I like parties!) and looking forward to jamming. I have some pretty cool things I've been sitting on, some of which I think will be of interest to you guys.

I would also LOVE to see some of your stuff people!

Ben
p.s.
Mike, I haven't said this yet, but the light/heavy coin idea with the hooked coin was a SWEET idea.

Michael Kras

Wow, thank you for the compliment Ben... I'm glad you like my little idea. And if I do make it, I will DEFINITELY be ready to jam! I also have a few really great things to show.

I've also come up with a few interesting ideas for this effect... an Open Prediction type thing, having their merely thought of card completely vanish from the deck only to reappear in the magician's pocket, and a few more tiny ones.