w w w . b i l l a b b o t t m a g i c .
c o m
Copyright Bill Abbott 2009. All Rights Reserved.
INTRODUCTION
The Customize Your Smart Ass deck
you have just purchased, now gives you
the power to force literally anything!
Any object, location, name, product,
person, animal, etc. There is no limit.
When I created the Smart Ass deck, my sole focus was how the audience was
to experience the effect. How could I make the selection of a playing card
entertaining yet so random, so impossible, that the idea that I had any control
over the final outcome was a ridiculous idea? After finding my solution I
instantly started to brainstorm other possibilities. How could I take this out of
the realm of a card trick? Could there be other uses for this principle?
Wouldn’t be wonderful to use the same force in other effects that didn’t use
playing cards? The bullet-proof card force that has captured the imagination of
both performers and audiences alike is now in a format that puts YOU in the
creative driver’s seat. In this booklet I have given you a starting point - a
creative spring board, if you will. From these routines and ideas I hope to whet
your artistic appetite. By all means use them verbatim and add your
personality, character and original ideas. They are there for the performing!
I would love to hear about what you do, to customize your deck.
Sincerely,
Bill Abbott
Toronto, 2009.
CONTENTS
Introduction by Bill Abbott
Contents pg. 1
Preparation & Method
The Cards pg. 3
The Smart Ass Force pg. 3
The Customize Set-Up pg. 4
Custom Ideas
Trade Show Promo pg. 5
Restaurant Decision pg. 5
Birthday Surprise pg. 6
Anniversary Celebration pg. 6
Custom Routines
The Smartest Celebrity Baby pg. 7
Needle in a Haystack pg. 8
McCombical Beans pg. 9
The Game Redux pg.10
The All-Inclusive Vacation Prediction pg.11
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2
PREPARATION
& METHOD
THE CARDS
Along with this book is a set of double-
blank cards in a wallet that have been
treated to create the Smart Ass forcing
deck. There are 40 cards in total. 20 of these cards have been treated with a
special adhesive strip on one side in a diagonal line from the top left to the
bottom right corner. The other 20 cards are untreated and will become your
force cards in any routine in this book, or routine that you create. The cards
come to you set-up already adhered together in 20 pairs and are in the wallet
provided.
THE SMART ASS FORCE
If you are unfamiliar with the Smart Ass forcing procedure, here it is in detail
and in sequential order:
1. The cards are set-up in the pairs with blank backs facing upwards. You can
turn and show the audience the random choices on the ‘faces’ of the cards and
then hand them to a participant writing side down (or “face down”) with blank
backs up.
2. This is the first “elimination” phase. Instruct the participant to cut the cards
and place the two halves in either hand. They then are given the choice to toss
away either half and keep one half.
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3. This is the second “elimination” phase. Instruct the participant again to cut
the remaining cards and place the two halves in each hand. They once again
are given the choice to toss away either half and keep one half.
4. This is the third, and final, “elimination” phase. The last batch of (double)
cards are taken by the performer and spread, writing side down, and the
participant is asked to touch the back of any one card. They touch a card and
you cut that card to the top of the packet. You then ask the participant to hold
out their right hand palm upwards in a horizontal position. As you say this and
the participant complies, you will be executing the separation of the two cards
adhered together. The packet of cards, with the ‘touched’ card on top, is in
your left hand and in dealing position. Your right thumb contacts and rests on
the back of this force card at the top right corner and your right forefinger
‘peels’ the double cards apart and frees the force card from the random
“treated” card below it. Your left forefinger assists in this separation by pulling
down on the card below the force card. The force card, once free, is placed on
the participant’s outstretched right hand. This entire action should take less
than a couple of seconds to perform. Perform this “move” slowly, steadily and
confidently.
5. You are now ready to reveal that your prediction or target has matched the
exact card they have arrived at by chance, intuition or telepathy (however you
want to present it).
THE CUSTOMIZE SET-UP
To customize your deck with any force name, object, image, etc., you will first
need to separate the double cards and lay the 20 “treated” cards adhesive side
up on a flat surface. The 20 “untreated” cards, are your force cards, and you
will need to mark one side of them, with a permanent marker, with your force
name, object, image, etc. Once you have marked your force cards and given
the markings enough time to properly dry, you will then carefully adhere each
one, writing side down, onto the adhesive side of the “treated” card. Once you
have done this you will have 20 double cards that appear to be blank on both
sides. You can now write random choices that match up with the theme of
your routine on the “face” side of the “treated” or non-force cards. Once this is
complete and the markings have had time to dry, you now have your Custom
Smart Ass deck ready to roll! The rest of this book contains ideas and routines
that you might like to adapt and use in your own performances. Enjoy!
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CUSTOM
IDEAS
TRADE SHOW PROMO
I can think of no better venue to
showcase the Custom Smart Ass deck
than on the trade show room floor. It’s
obviously not limited to this venue, and
could also be utilized at a product launch, customer appreciation event or
corporate holiday banquet. By creating a custom deck with the client’s name,
product or service as the force cards, you now have a miracle effect combined
with a strong underlying promotional message. The random choices could be
the names of competitor’s products or services and how out of dozens of
choices, the right one always finds it’s way to you (or whatever!). For a small
cost, comparable to the impact on your corporate client and their target
market, you now have a customized tool that you can use over and over again
to - amuse, baffle and educate.
RESTAURANT DECISION
I worked as a restaurant magician for several years and I regularly attempted
to promote the name of the restaurant I was hired to perform at during my
shifts. For the restaurant magician it would be a terrific idea to make up a
custom deck with the name of the restaurant on the force cards along with a
list competitor’s names on the random mix of non-force cards. Using the
technique from Bag It Up Close taken from the Smart Stuff book (pg. 4) you
could show a random mix of restaurant names in a large clear ziplock bag
which the spectator would grab a handful of. They would then narrow it down
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to one by touching the back of one, which you hand them (after performing the
‘separation’ move). Explain that out of the all of the restaurants they chose this
very evening they ended up at Casey’s Bar & Grill (or whatever your restaurant
is). Not only that but in a random mix of restaurants they clearly had a choice
of from the dozens in the bag...they once again ended up with Casey’s Bar &
Grill. Coincidence? We think not.
BIRTHDAY SURPRISE
For the birthday party entertainer you could contact the birthday children’s
parents before the show and find out if there is one special gift that the child is
receiving from them that they have been asking for more than any other. Ask
them to play along with a game that you will be conducting during the show
and instruct them to wrap the special gift and to have it ready for the
performance. At an appropriate time during the show invite the birthday child
to assist you in choosing a single toy out of dozens you have written down.
Obviously you have customized your deck to have the force cards marked with
the child’s dream toy/gift. After the elimination sequences they will be left with
one of the force cards at which point you would signal the parents to present
the child with the special gift. This is not limited to a child’s birthday party, any
sweet sixteen, graduation party, etc. could include this custom presentation.
ANNIVERSARY LOVE CONNECTION
This is a perfect presentation for an anniversary celebration. Customize your
deck by marking all of the force cards with the first name of the woman whose
wedding anniversary they are celebrating. The non-force cards can be a
random mix of women’s names, or possibly names of women that are known to
the couple, or maybe past girlfriends(!). During your presentation you ask that
the husband assist you in your next experiment in true love. Show the random
mix of women’s names and possibly draw his attention to some names he may
recognize. Explain that using his gut reaction he will endeavor to narrow down
his true love. Perform the Smart Ass elimination sequence until he is down to
the last (force) card. Reiterate the odds that out of dozens of cards and the
haphazard selection, it would truly be fate that he would select his one true
love. Sure enough it is revealed that he has.
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CUSTOM
ROUTINES
THE SMARTEST
CELEBRITY BABY
The Routine:
You introduce the endlessly fascinating
topic of celebrities and the public’s
obsession with them. From supermarket tabloids, internet chatter and TMZ,
we have incredible access to the lives of these stars and starlets. A lot of us
feel like we know them, like our own friends and family. Request a volunteer
from the audience to assist you in an experiment in celebrity clairvoyance(!).
You show a large envelope that is placed on a chair and the participant is
directed to sit on the chair (and envelope). You then show a series of blank
cards with single word names handwritten on them. By going through several
of them you test the participants celebrity ‘knowledge’ by asking him/her to call
out the missing last name of the obvious celebrity. For example, BRAD would
be written on a card, and the participant would say, “PITT”. After this ‘test’ you
hand the cards to the participant to mix and then cut into two halves. The
Smart Ass elimination sequence commences and ends when the participant is
left with one final card in their hand. They are asked to stand, hand you the
envelope they have been sitting on and then call out the celebrity they have
reached using their latent clairvoyant powers. “JULIA” is called out. You feign
amazement and slowly open the envelope and exclaim that indeed the celebrity
they had been sitting on from the very start was, in fact, JULIA ROBERTS. You
slide out a large photo of a baby from the envelope with a quick follow-up
statement that clearly it is JULIA ROBERTS at the age of 3 months. After the
laughter (and groans) subside you then concede that for the skeptics and
unbelievers, more definitive proof of your participants powers are needed,
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which is why you also have a more up-to-date photo of the lovely Ms.Roberts.
Turning over the baby photo you then show a full-grown picture of the starlet
on the flip-side.
Props and Set-Up:
The Cards: Split the 20 pairs of cards and place the 20 “untreated” cards that
will become your force cards out on a flat surface. Carefully and clearly write
the name JULIA, in a permanent marker, on one side of each card of these
cards. On the “treated” cards (on the untreated side of these cards, of course)
you then write the one name words of other popular celebrity personalities.
Here is a list of the 20 names I have used (I have included their last names for
your reference. These are not included on the actual cards of course);
BRAD (PITT), ANGELINA (JOLIE), BRITNEY (SPEARS), BRUCE (WILLIS),
HARRISON (FORD), MEL (GIBSON), MADONNA, CHER, STING, DENZEL
(WASHINGTON), TOM (CRUISE), GEORGE (CLOONEY), PARIS (HILTON),
NICOLE (RICHIE), JESSICA (SIMPSON), WILL (SMITH), MATT (DAMON),
SYLVESTER (STALLONE), NICOLAS (CAGE), JOHN (TRAVOLTA),.
Now re-adhere the 20 force cards to the 20 random cards and place the cards
in the wallet provided.
The Prediction/Target: Get a large opaque envelope (I use one that is 9 x 14
inches) to contain the prediction. Obtain a picture of a baby in a resolution that
will look good printed out in a 8.5 x 11 format. I use www.istockphoto.com for
purchasing quality images of everything and anything. Then acquire an image
of Julia Roberts in the same size/format. I purchased a glossy 8 x 10 head shot
from a movie poster store, but you could easily find one online and print it off
yourself. With rubber cement glue the baby picture back to back with the
Roberts photo, once the cement has set you simply have to slip it into your
envelope and you’re ready to perform.
NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK
The Routine:
You have probably heard the expression, “It’s like finding a needle in a
haystack.” It is usually in reference to an impossible task or search of an object
that is truly lost. With the incredible power of human intuition, truly anything is
possible. Including impossible tasks. You invite a participant to the stage for a
truly impossible seeming experiment. From a stack of blank cards you reveal
one card that has the word NEEDLE written on it in bold black letters. You set
aside this card and show the rest of the cards have the word HAYSTACK
written on them in bold black letters. You take the NEEDLE card place it on top
of the pack writing side down and cut it into the center of the cards. You
immediately hand the cards to your participant to mix them, and when they are
ready to begin you ask them to cut the cards roughly in half holding half the
cards in each hand. Proceed with the elimination procedure until they down to
the last handful of cards and are about to touch the back of their final selection.
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Ask them to touch a card and hold their finger on it. Now remind them that this
is their last chance to change their mind and touch any other card. Let them
decide and act upon that decision (or not). Now cut that card to the top and
perform the separation move while asking them to hold out their right hand nice
and flat. Hand them the card and then slowly turn over the remaining cards in
your hand revealing that they are all marked with the word HAYSTACK on them.
They turn their selection over revealing to everyone that they have indeed
found, the needle in the haystack!
Props and Set-Up:
Split the 20 pairs of cards and layout the 20 “untreated” cards that will become
your force cards. Carefully and clearly write NEEDLE with a permanent marker
on one side of each card. On the “treated” cards (on the untreated side of
these cards, of course) you then write HAYSTACK. Now re-adhere the 20 force
cards to the 20 random cards and place the cards in the wallet provided. Now
you’re ready to perform the routine as written. To display the NEEDLE card at
the beginning simply separate the force card on top, show it, place it back and
cut it into the middle of the pack, automatically adhering it back onto the
“treated” card below it.
MCCOMBICAL BEANS
The Routine:
The existence of subliminal advertising is hard to prove. Whether it is effective
in the marketplace is another tough question. Using your incredible powers of
persuasion and smashing good looks, you will attempt to influence the decision
making of an absolute stranger, proving the power of the subconscious mind
over our actions. Invite a participant to the stage ask them to take a seat in a
chair sitting center stage. Behind their back you remove a can of corn from a
small paper back and hold it up for the audience to see, but keeping it out of
the vision of the participant. This, you explain, is the target. Your focused
thought, that you will try to communicate subliminally to your subject. You
place the can of corn back into the bag and place it on a side table or chair in
view of the entire audience, Removing a pack of blank backed cards from your
pocket you explain that these cards will represent the many choices that the
participant will have to distract her from your one focused thought. You show
the cards with faces towards the audience and away from the participant, and
each card has the word CORN written on it in bold letters! Squaring up the
cards you hand them, writing facing down, to the participant asking her to cut
the cards without looking at them, holding half the cards in each of her
outstretched hands. The Smart Ass elimination procedure is performed from
this point onwards until the participant is left with only one card. She turns it
over and the word BEANS is written in bold across that card! The audience
reacts to the surprise appearance, as does the very surprised performer(!?).
You then reach into the paper bag and remove the can that is now a can of
beans! The paper bag is crumpled into a ball and tossed to the stage and the
participant is given the can of beans for all of her hard work.
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Props and Set-Up:
The Cards: Split the 20 pairs of cards and layout the 20 “untreated” cards that
will become your force cards. Carefully and clearly write BEANS with a
permanent marker on one side of each card. On the “treated” cards (on the
untreated side of these cards, of course) you then write CORN. Now re-adhere
the 20 force cards to the 20 random cards and place the cards in the wallet
provided.
The Can: Purchase a can of corn and a can of beans that are both the same
size. Carefully remove the label from the can of corn without ripping it. You are
now going to create a ‘shell’ from this corn label that will slide easily on and off
the can of beans. You can do this by simply taping the two loose ends/sides of
the label leaving a little extra room enable the label to slide on and off the can
of beans. Slide the corn label ‘shell’ over the can of beans and place it in a
small (and empty) paper bag. The routine plays out as written and when you
display what appears to be a can of corn, simply remove the can from the bag
holding the loose label firmly to the sides of the can. Display to the audience
being sure not to let your participant see it and then replace it back in the bag.
After you reveal the final card selection has the word BEANS on it, reach into
the bag with your right hand grabbing the top metal rim of the can with your
fingers while your left hand gets hold of the label ‘shell’ from the outside of the
bag. At this point it’s an easy task to remove the can of beans leaving the corn
label inside the bag. Now loosely crumple up the bag and toss it to the stage,
to an assistant or into a receptacle. As long as you don’t crumple up the bag
too tightly your label ‘shell’ should last indefinitely.
Afterthought:
After performing this I realized there would be a greater magical impact by
using a Norm Nielsen vanishing bottle and a can of beans or other product. I
have switched to using the vanishing bottle and it seems to have a stronger
impact overall.
THE GAME - REDUX -
The Routine:
Invite a young boy to play an exciting game where he might win a cool prize.
Hand him a small matchbox and ask that he not open it until later when you tell
him to. At this point you show him the ‘incredibly’ exciting prize options that
have been written on a stack of blank cards. In this line up of prizes are things
like; a complete Barbi collection, broccoli buffet, an all-expenses paid trip to
the dentist, etc. etc. Now to play the game, you explain, all he has to do is
eliminate cards until he has one surprise left over. The Smart Ass elimination
sequence commences and ends when the participant is left with one final card
in their hand. Out of all of the wonderful prizes they are asked to announce
their random selection. It is a brand new car! The volunteer is asked to open
the match box, where sure enough, there is a brand new (hot wheels) car!
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Props and Set-Up:
The Cards: Split the 20 pairs of cards and layout the 20 “untreated” cards that
will become your force cards. Carefully and clearly write BRAND NEW CAR
with a permanent marker on one side of each card. On the “treated” cards (on
the untreated side of these cards, of course) you then write the random prizes
that would clearly not appeal to any boy. Things like broccoli buffet, barbi
collection, pet mosquito, trip to the dentist, etc. and anything else that can get
a cringe or negative reaction from your participant is perfect. Now re-adhere
the 20 force cards to the 20 random cards and place the cards in the wallet
provided.
The Matchbox Prediction: Obtain a small matchbox and remove the matches.
Purchase a small toy car (Hot Wheels, Matchbox, etc.) that will fit inside the
empty match box. Place the car in the matchbox and put the box in a
convenient pocket and you are ready to perform.
THE ALL-INCLUSIVE VACATION PREDICTION
The Routine:
At the end of your show you explain that due to an incredible sales year at
company XYZ (insert client’s company name here), the upper management has
agreed to arrange for an all-expenses paid vacation for everyone to anywhere
in the world. They have left the choice up to us to choose the destination, time
of departure and the form of transportation to the destination. You take off your
watch and ask a volunteer in the front row to stand up and show them that you
want them to wind your watch changing the time with each turn of the stem.
To make this a random procedure ask them to do this while the watch face is
face down in their hand. While they are doing this you ask anyone to call out
vacation destinations. As they do, you pull out a pad of paper and begin to
write down each destination per piece of paper, folding them twice and
dropping them one at a time onto an empty table or chair. Once you have
10-12 names you ask a volunteer to join you on stage. You ask them to select
any slip of paper from the random ones on the table/chair and to pocket it.
Once this is done you invite them to take a seat on a chair beside you. You
remove a pack of blank backed cards that have various forms of transportation
on one side of them. MOPED, STREETCAR, KAYAK, ON FOOT,
SNOWMOBILE, DOG SLED, ONE HORSE OPEN SLEIGH, etc. are some of the
options. You hand them the pack and procede with the Smart Ass elimination
procedure concluding with a final selection which you tell your participant to
pocket along with the destination. Finally you tell your ‘watch winding’
assistant to stop his winding and to push the stem of the watch in, turn the
watch over and call out the random time. You write the time on a large black/
white board, thank the volunteer and take back your watch. Instruct your on
stage volunteer to remove the mystery destination slip and transportation card
from their pocket and call both out while you write them on the board below the
departure time. Take back the card and slip and ask the volunteer to take their
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seat. You ask the event organizer to come on stage and to bring ‘the package’.
They come to the stage bringing a long mailing tube. Ask them to verify that
they received this package two weeks before the performance and have not
opened or tampered with it in anyway. Ask them to open it and remove the
contents. Inside there are is a large scroll of paper. You ask them to take one
free end while you let it unroll from the ‘scroll’. Slowly the departure time, form
of transportation and exact destination is revealed in a banner that boldly
proclaims a 100% accurate prediction that eventually fills the entire stage.
Props and Set-Up:
This prediction has the decided advantage of being truly predicted in advance,
with no double-writing, carbon impressions or difficult to read finale. Each of
the three predicted items are in fact forced and due to the variances in the
forcing techniques and the random nature of each, this effect can be a show-
stopper. You do not have to mail out the prediction ahead of time, but it does
lend itself to a more dramatic and suspenseful conclusion. Here is what you
need to do to prepare:
The Cards: Split the 20 pairs of cards and layout the 20 “untreated” cards that
will become your force cards. Carefully and clearly write CANOE with a
permanent marker on one side of each card. On the “treated” cards (on the
untreated side of these cards, of course) you then write 20 forms of
transportation. The more interesting and obscure these are, the more
entertaining for the audience. Now re-adhere the 20 force cards to the 20
random cards and place the cards in the wallet provided.
The Watch: Purchase a watch that has a simple clock face (non-digital) and a
date function. Be sure the stem of this watch has the option of three positions;
1) Is the closed position, which is when the watch is functioning normally and
you are not adjusting anything. 2) Pull out the stem so that it clicks into the
position that sets the time, and 3) Pull out the stem once more into the position
that sets the date. There are many brands that have this function. The Swatch
brand have inexpensive models that have these particular features. In
performance you would remove your watch and pull the stem out to the time
setting position and show your participant how the time changes as you turn
the stem. What you do then is actually set the watch to the time you have
previously predicted in advance. Once this is done, secretly pull out the stem
to the date setting position, turn the watch face down and place it into the
participants hand and tell them to continue turning the stem to generate a
random time. At the appropriate time in the routine ask them to push the stem
in, turn over the watch and call out the time. It will be the time you set and
previously predicted.
The Destination:
Purchase a small inexpensive pad of paper and pen. Place pad and pen in a
convenient pocket and you’re ready to perform. As destinations are called out
simply write down the same location each and every time. After you write the
location on a piece of paper, rip it off the pad being sure that no one catches a
glimpse of what you have written, and fold it twice hiding the writing inside.
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Several destinations will be called out at the same time and there are several
that seem to come up every time like Paris, Australia and New York. It goes
without saying that the destination you write on every slip will be the one you
have previously predicted and sent to the event organizer.
The Prediction:
There are several ways to make up the scroll type banner and several size
options depending on the type of show, size of the audience and venue, etc. I
have had a professionally printed banner printed on vinyl that, when unrolled,
opens to a whopping 25 feet across and 3 feet wide. This fits into a mailing
tube which I seal and mail to the client previous to the event with the instruction
to bring it to the show. You could do this cost-effectively using your own
printer, or simply take a roll of paper and write out your prediction with a large
marker.
Have Fun!
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