Dear All,

In the mid 90's, I lectured and performed at Tannen's Jubilee. Late one night, Michael Vincent said, "Ask Harry about his tetradistic stack trick!" I did. Harry said, "What the heck is that?" Michael explained to Harry what he meant. Harry said, "You're kidding, right?" Only Half an hour later - in front of a big group - Harry said, "Paul, can I borrow your deck?" I gave Harry my deck and he performed it. (It's actually called "What A M-E-S!"; which 5 years later appeared in Personal Collection.) It's a very tough trick (for mere mortals) to do; and Harry fried all and sundry. I clearly remember the popped eyes and dropped jaws. After that wondrous five-second pause, the applause rang out.

Recently, I tried it (took me years to get it right) for "the boys" and the response was startling. It's not something I could do often. Why? Well, if you know the trick you know it's not the easiest of tricks, to say the least. (I recommend, btw, you get - if you can - Harry's book. It's one of his very best.)

So, my question: Anyone else here tried it?

Paul Gordon

Paul - if you found it a challenge, I'm going no-where near it!

Anyone care to describe the effect?

What a P-O-S-T!

I challenge anyone to describe the effect! HL.

I remember the first time Harry performed this effect, it was in Alan Alan's Magic Shop in the early 90s. Harry used my deck and fooled the heck out of everyone with it.

When Personal Collection was published, this was the first routine I learned and used for quite a while to great effect.

The effect goes like this.....on second thoughts, just learn it.

Mike Vincent
Lodnon

Heck, I love tricks that fool the heck out of people.

When was Personal Collection released? Is it still available?

Hi Mark,

Released in 2001 - only 750 copies. Best try Harry directly.

Cheers, Paul Gordon

Is it too late for "Personal Collection - the Collectors Edition"?

That'd be nice, I've been trying to get my hands on Personal Collection, it's not very easy to find though.

Similarly, I watched a Harry Lorayne receive a shuffled pack from an audience at a convention and absolutely destroy the audience of magicians with a virtually instantaneous production of four aces... the crowd went nuts. I've been doing it ever since. Thanks again Mr. Lorayne.

Speaking of complicated stuff from Harry Lorayne that kicks butt and is worth taking the time to learn...

His Playing Card Magic Square effect! I just reread that last night from his "Personal Secrets" book. I think it's in the collection as well. That's a great effect... talk about a true display of the mind!

Sorry guys, Personal Collection is long out of print.

Best - HARRY LORAYNE.

It´s a shame!
I am quite sure that there was almost no information in 2001 about Personal Collection in Germany! I can hardly imagine that I would have missed that book! I have all the Lorayne books that are/were available in any kind (i am too young to have had the possibility to purchase Trendsetters, My Favorite Card Tricks, Quantum Leaps, etc.).

Sadly, some things aren't available anymore, Personal Collection, e.g. so, therefore this thread is some kind of torture to me: you are speaking of a heck of an effect (I don´t question that! It´s quite obvious that it is by that honored people who support it), that is not easy to do. (I love challenges and effects not everyone will and can do!) and no one can even describe the effect.

So, please, stop torturing us with more secret-knowledge-talking.

Speaking of not-easy-to-do effects from Harry Lorayne: one of my favorites is the Faro-Blockbuster out of Deck-sterity. the challenge to me was to combine this routine with (three) different effects, so that I can perform it with a borrowed deck, and that the audience has the impression that the deck is carefully mixed all the time, while I do the required work (can´t do it just in two steps, I need a third step to prepare; to me it´s more comfortable).
But the result is devastating, I swear! Thank you, Harry, for that!

Am I right if I suppose that routine What A-M-E-S (is that right? or What a M-E-S-S?) was never published in another place, Apocalypse e.g.? Some hints on the evolution? Similar effects out of Apocalypse or some other Lorayne books/DVDs?
I, perhaps some other people, would appreciate any info.
And of course: if Personal Collection would be available I would buy it immediately!

Best regards!
Axel

Wow.. I have to say.. I'm totally dyin to even see or hear about this.. as in.. the effect. Yes I read it can't be explained, but now I'm just totally intrigued. it's THAT hard huh? by the way, what makes it so hard? the sleights? the timing? the misdirection needed? just so I know what I would be up against when I do get around to getting a hold of this from the man himself (Harry). -if he has any around lol.

True enough, Maestro. Leads me to believe that you have already met Top Hat.

What A M-E-S is every bit as good as the posters here say it is. As with any material, it is only as good as the hands it is in, and in Mr. Lorayne's hands a lump of coal would become a diamond.

The basic effect, of "What A M-E-S!" is this: A borrowed deck is genuinely shuffled. A card is chosen by the spectator. The performer magically locates the card as he randomly deals the deck into four piles. The kicker (bearing in mind it's a shuffled borrowed deck; no switches etc) is that the deck has been magically split into the four suits. There's much, much more to it - but, it'd take too much space to tell you all about it. But, believe me - I've watched Harry get amazing responses from very well-versed magicians.

Paul Gordon

Ok, here is an example of me being "destroyed". Sorry, a little off topic here, but I think I can explain. I took a vacation to Glascow, Scotland recently and had the pleasure of going to Tam Shepherd's. I got to meet and spend some time with the great Roy Walton. Now I have been into magic for a long time and pride myself on being a true card guy. Roy did some stuff for me that well...destroyed me...in a good way. What I mean by this is that I know all (almost it turns out) of the sleights that he used, but I never saw them coming. One effect he showed me was so simple...I chose a card from a peek, he then turned the deck over and showed the bottom card. Not my card. He waved his hand over it and it changed into my card. Simple right? I tried for 2 days to replicate it and could not. My wife finally convinced me to go back and talk to Roy. I did and he was so cool about it. I said, "you did a turnover pass and then the Erdnase change"...which I knew wasn't right.

He said...let me show you again. He did the effect for me 2 times in a row and I still had no clue. He did admit to doing a turnover pass which was perfect. (I do it myself but wasn't sure that was what he was doing, but knew it had to be). Then he told me I was way off on the color change! It is the best color change I have seen... from an 80 (something) yr. old master!...He did finally tell me it was the Andrus change. A very surreal experience! He would not show me the change but did tell me the name of the change (very cool of him).

I finally tracked it down myself (thanks to a Café member), and it is a very difficult sleight that he completely fooled me with 3 times, right under my nose. Anyhow, here I am this "knowledgeable" card guy watching one of the old masters, and he completely "destroyed" me.... He fooled me with stuff I not only know, but I do (There were many other things that he fooled me with). Sorry for the long post, but I did feel "destroyed".... Thank you Roy! I was fooled so thoroughly that I had no where to go from there. Very cool.
Griff

I am impressed with 'What A M-E-S!'.

I struggled if I could alter the method to fit to my style, and changed as below.

1. Force is not neccessary. Spectator can selects and hides any card from the shuffled deck while I am turning back.

2. Distribution rule is changed as below.

A, 5, 9, K is placed on its suite position.
2, 6, 10 is placed on its suite position +1.
3, 7, J is placed on its sutie position +2.
4, 8, Q is placed on its suite position +3 (or -1).

3. I deal the cards into four piles without any irregular way.

Thanks Mr. Gordon for guiding me to this great trick!

Hideo Kato