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you have in your arsenal; and the more other card effects and routines you know the better use you ll be able to make of the Open Index. The Open Index is not a trick or even a method in itself; rather, it s a chance to get way ahead in other tricks you perform by being able to add an extra dimension of working with any freely named or designated card. Named Triumph. Here s an example of how the Open Index can enhance a trick most magicians already perform. Triumph is a deserved classic of card magic, but imagine how it plays when the spectator can just name any card he likes, instead of having to physically select and replace it. Once the spectator names any card, you use the Open Index procedures to secretly get the named card to the top of the deck. (Indeed, you may be able to efficiently combine getting the target card where you want it with the normal procedures of cutting the deck in half and turning one half face up). You then proceed with your favorite Triumph shuffle, but at the climax, when all the cards are spread and shown to be magically facing the same direction, the spectator s named card is staring him in the face, as the only card face up! (And if you use Vernon s original Triumph shuffle, or two Zarrow shuffles, you can even maintain your stack in order!). This Named Triumph is an excellent example of how the Open Index aspect of the memorized deck can combine with other card effects to produce a synergy and an extra magical touch. Two masters of the Open Index concept are Juan Tamariz and Mike Close, and their work is worth your close attention. Mike has written a detailed chapter On the Memorized Deck in his Workers, Vol. 5 focusing on the Open Index, that is a must read for anyone who s serious about this concept. In addition to presenting many specific effects that rely on the Open Index, Mike also opens up the topic of jazzing with the Open Index, that is, improvising in an open-ended manner, thinking on your feet while you perform. You ve got this incredible secret weapon in your hands: any card you want can in some way be dealt with, so what s the best way to utilize this potential? Those of you who are familiar with Vernon s classic, The Trick That Can t Be Explained, will know how sometimes you can make up a trick as you go along, dealing with ad hoc situations as they arise, taking advantage of fortuitous circumstances when you can, or having to make up an alternative effect, if the breaks are against you. The more you become familiar with your stack, the more potentialities you ll find available and the more comfortable you ll be taking risks to reach for the possibility of getting a miracle. Anyone who has ever seen Juan Tamariz in action will appreciate the power and flexibility of this tool in the hands of a gifted magician who works with lots of confidence, nerve, multiple outs and creative thinking. I ve published two of my favorite open index effects, Two Beginnings and The Invisible Card, in Try the Impossible. I think you ll see how they bring the memorized deck out of the realm of location effects to create visual and entertaining magical plots that go far beyond the I ll find your card type effects. * * * * * I hope you realize that I ve had to be somewhat arbitrary in isolating the above five principles to discuss. I chose them because they re, to some degree, unique to memorized deck magic. Introduction to Memorized Deck Magic " 15 Naturally there are many other principles applicable to other kinds of stacks and pre-arranged decks that can also be used to advantage with a memorized stack. Please also keep in mind that the above discussion has only scratched the surface of what these principles can accomplish when they re intelligently applied. And, we haven t even begun to examine how these principles can be used in combination with one another. You can create diabolical, multi-phase effects by using one principle in one phase and then switching methods by using another principle in a different phase. The methods can cancel each other out, leaving the helpless spectator with nowhere to turn, other than to marvel at your magical powers. As you continue your study of memorized deck magic, I think you ll be delighted with just how ingenious the memorized deck can be. III. How Do I Memorize the Stack? The short answer is: by whatever method is comfortable for you. Learning. Over the years I ve had many discussions with magicians around the world, who have each given me their personal views, tips, approaches and individualized slants on how they memorized their stacks. Their methods are quite varied, but anyone who has ever studied memory [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |