Ok I love Pop Haydn's Chicago Surprise. One of the best download tricks I've bought. BUT for a while I wasn't doing it because I don't like keeping a stranger card in the deck and I don't like ringing one in secretly.

So...I came up with a way to bring the stranger card in openly. I doubt I'm the first to think of this but because it is just a small addition to a great trick I thought I would share.

Keep the stranger card anywhere you want. Pocket, satchel, purse, whatever. Walk up to the table and ask if they've seen the trick where the magician says "pick a card any card". Offer to explain how the trick works. During this patter cut he card that matches the stranger card to the top of the deck.

Now introduce the stranger card and explain that this is the card chosen by the previous table and that is why it looks different. Place that card on to the deck and explain that you will reset the trick. Now do the Erdnase change to apparently change it to the same back color as the others. Now simply double cut those two cards to the bottom and proceed with the Chicago Surprise routine.

I always "push the button on top of the deck" to affect the change. Other than that my patter is the same as Pop Haydn's.

Chicago Surprise

Interesting idea, but I feel like it weakens the effect compared to the orginal method. Aside from the surprise change at the end, the card turning blue out of nowhere during the first phase always gets a very strong reaction. Also, from what I can tell, you're using it as an opener, so what's the hassle with ringing it in between tables?

Best Regards,
T.J.

Valid points but for some reason it really works for me.

I think it's a lot of little things. I want the trick to always be ready but I don't want to always dedicate a pocket to a stranger card. I want the stranger card to be flat so it's better for it to be in a wallet. I don't want any fumbling between tables etc etc.

I was pretty stoked about the idea because it worked so well and I found myself doing this trick more than I had in the past but there may be better ways to deal with my issues.

You're probably right that it's better to surprise them with the first color change but I got very strong reactions any way.

Why not just ring in the odd backed card using the Any Signed Card to Any Spectator's Wallet? If you wear a button down shirt and perform regularly, I would think it would make a worthy investment. Using it to ring in the odd backed card will also allow you to get comfortable with using the gimmick with no heat on it and you may find that the card to wallet and other ideas useful and do-able at that point. If I was working restaurants again, that is how I would do it, though honestly, I tend to use Red Hot Mamma as an opener and don't find the need to ring it in.

I keep the deck fully setup in the box... When I want to do the trick, I take out all of the cards. When I don't, I hold it as such an angle they wont be able to see what I'm about to do... But, as I take the deck out of the box, I use my pointed to "thumb," or in this case "pointer finger?" (aha) the two bottom cards back in to the box.. So essentially I just leave the cards in the box if I don't want to do the trick, or take them all out if I do.

Excellent ideas and I've tried them both. I live in Florida and any card that is in a shirt pocket quickly gets moist so I can't use the Any Signed Card to Any Spectator's Wallet gimmick. (Maybe it's my body chemistry).

When I keep a stranger card in the box I often forget it is there. I end up doing a trick and suddenly a stranger card shows up.

This isn't a deep problem. Just a matter of practicality and what works for me. I'm tending toward keeping the stranger in the box or sticking with the stranger in wallet.

I appreciate the input.

If it works for you... great. But knowing there is a stranger card takes away the surprise in my book. Paul Green had a similar type of set-up to a stranger card on his "in the trenches" DVD that I didn't like for the same reason. (It wasn't for chicago opener / surprise but a similar type of trick).

My question would be... do you not know what trick you will perform when you approach the table. As Zephury said, just keep the deck set up in the box and either take out all the cards if you plan to perform that trick, or leave the 2 cards if you don't plan on performing the trick.

I do understand the shirt pocket issue... Florida humidity is a killer!

Yeah I just watched Bill Malone's Marlo videos and at one point he mentions that when he lived in Florida he didn't use Breather crimps because they didn't last long with the humidity and I suddenly realized why I never found them reliable.

Hey Mike--

Native Floridian, but not a huge card guy; nonetheless, I do know what our humidity can do to a deck. Still, a breather should last the night if done with gusto, I would think.

I just recently learned a nifty breather set up if you are using a Bicycle deck. PM me if you are interested and don's already know where I might be headed.

I lived in the Keys for 3 years. The humidity was an issue and working on an outside patio with those misters makes it really tough.

Then I started working in the Dominican Republic. WOW talk about humidity!

I Definately sympathize with those issues.

Why not just add the card to the deck as you're walking from one table to the other?
I don't see the need for all the hullabaloo.

I agree.

I did mention that when I keep a stranger card in a pocket it gets bent out of shape by humidity or body chemistry or something. So I have to keep it in a wallet or in the deck. For me it's easier to keep it in a wallet. I'd rather pull the card out openly and make it part of the trick than do it furtively between tables. That's all.

No hullabaloo. Just my preference.

I mean, really...

Just load that card on from a palm. No-one is watching.

Introducing that odd coloured backed card openly totally undermines the appearance of it later on.

Robmonster,

Did you read the other posts? Your post added nothing. Your point was already brought up by others and acknowledged by me.

If you have a bycicle deck. open the deck. leave the wrapper around the box. if you ar done push the odd card between the wrapper and deck.

So why would it be in your pocket ever? it starts on the deck, you perform, it appears, it sits on the spectators table, you do other stuff. you're done. You put it back on the deck and walk on to the next table.

As others have stated, the first effect is nullified by you drawing attention to the odd colored card at the outset.

you don't have to believe... almost everybody... but it's true.


Consider this...

Would you be willing to walk up to a table of spectators and show a set of linking rings and how they worked with the *** ring and everything.
Then do an actual routine where the *** is only part of the total secret to the rings?

Because I don't always do this trick and when I do it is not always my opener. I often choose my tricks based on my interaction with my audience.



I hope you mis-typed here. If you think the effect is nullified you are living in another universe. The effect is very strong when presented as I described.

Perhaps you meant the effect is weakened. I've already agreed that this might be so. Having the card in a wallet is a practical consideration. In my first few times trying this it has made the trick more practical without weakening the effect in any obvious way but If I were doing this as an opener I would stick to the original handling.



Not the same thing at all. A stranger card doesn't give away any method at all. Lots of routines start off by showing a stranger card.

But yes I have seen routines where the magician showed the gaffed ring and said "Hey I got a broken one" and then tossed it away and proceeded to fool people who thought they knew the method. Again magicians do this sort of thing all the time but that has nothing to do with my addition to Chicago Surprise.

This was just a small thing that I found useful and decided to share. I work restaurants 4 nights a week performing for children, college students and every one else.

If you perform a planned set routine when you perform it will not be of value to you. If you are adept at palming and don't have any problems with humidity it will not be of any value to you. It is entirely possible that I am the only person who will find value in this idea but I do.

If it works for you Mike, then do it.

That said, I'm with Frank. I would never introduce or show the odd backed card before doing RHM/CS. I think the trick is all about how one card, the selected card, changed color, when they where all the same color to start. In fact, I try to impress upon the spectators, without actually saying it, that ALL the card are, say, blue to start. It makes the color change that much more impressive. IMHO...

Another way to load it is to leave the match in odd backed card in the box, secretly cut the card to the face, place the cards into the box to load the card, then do another trick or talk momentarily and offer to do one more. I'm going to reiterate though, I think openly showing the odd backed card prior to the effect significantly weakens it in my opinion.