Lie Detector
What follows is an effect that I developed independently from anyone else, it is what got me on to the TV Show, Glas Vegas. I have never seen this in print or has anyone I’ve told credited someone else with the same effect. I am sure someone has done it before as it is just a presentation of a stock idea in mentalism, that of lie detection. The influences for this effect are Lennart Green and, at an unconscious level, Derren Brown. The basis of it is based on a comedy routine of Green’s called 5 Questions from his Green Magic DVD series. I believe the excellent routine is on Volume 5 but I am not certain. Full credit for the idea is his. When I saw it I realised that the principle of the effect could easily be adapted for a serious mentalism effect rather than a comedy card presentation.
To say I’ve ‘published’ this before would be vain and inaccurate. I have however told a number of people and posted it on a forum or two. I decided to post it here as it has served me very well and is so straightforward that it is utterly unpublishable!
A word of warning, the method used is totally missed by lay people. They will give you a lot more credit than you are due. If you are stupid enough to drunkenly let slip how it is done they will probably get violent, very very violent.
Method:
To get this out of the way now, you force a card. Do it however the feck you like as long as it looks like a fair choice. I use a slip force but any will do. Hell, a cross cut force could even work! The power of this effect relies entirely on presentation, at the end I will list a couple of points that are important to bear in mind.
Presentation:
You open by saying that if you wanted to find out what card someone was holding by asking either/or questions, the fewest you could do it with is six questions. You point out this would be very easy if they could only tell the truth so you say they may either tell the truth or they may lie for each question, whichever they want to do. Then they select a card. You start by asking a series of questions, I’ll demonstrate with an example:
The card forced is the Six of Spades.
You: Is it Red or Black?
Spec: Red. (Lie)
Y: Clubs or Spades?
S: Spades. (T)
Y: Above or below 7?
S: Below. (T)
Y: Odd or Even?
S: Odd. (L)
Y: Above or below 4?
S: Below. (L)
Y: It’s the Six of Spades isn’t it?
S: Wow!!! Will you sleep with me??? (Not guaranteed)
That’s basically it! Fairly self-explanatory.
Notes:
1. If given the chance the card I like to force is the Seven of Clubs. At the question ‘Is it above or below 7′ most spectators will hesitate. I just smile and say give me back my 7C and stick it in the deck without looking. It is fucking hilarious! They will be blown away.
2. If I get a less general choice of card (peek at top and bottom card) I prefer to go with one that is below 7 as it eliminates court cards which are a pain in the hole.
3. This instantly resets. All you have to do is peak a card.
4. Unusually you can repeat this for the same crowd a few times, this due to one big reason. That is the fact there is no big deal about the card choice, it is purely incidental. There is also a fuck load of time and situational misdirection from the card choice to the reveal. This makes it som much more effective than forcing the card and revealing it straight away!
5. I have an improved version but I’m not telling you! I have to keep some secrets!!! Maybe it’ll pop up in one of my performance videos and you can try work it out!!!
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Is there really any need to curse that much when describing a magic trick?
Ehm… for me? Yes. I type as I talk and I swear a lot. Tough shit. If you don’t like it the don’t fucking read it!
In a world where superlatives have lost all meaning swearing is the only way to convey true sentiment.
And if I offend you then stay the fuck away from Jerry Sadowitz’s stuff. If you gave out to him he’d just call you a cunt, tell you to grow a pair of balls and stop bitching.
And what the fuck! I said fuck (or derivative) twice, feck once and hell once. Hell and feck are not swear words so essentially I only swore twice. Get your head out of your hole!
Swearing doesn’t make you cool. The trick would be better without your vulgar language Harry Potter.
Let’s just make this very clear here. This site is not aimed at children, it is aimed at adult magicians. Some people curse regularly when they talk, and some people curse when they write. Much like some people use colloquialisms regularly. As the owner of magicireland.com I do not have the slightest bit of a problem with the way Harry expresses himself.
Harry was kind enough to share his routine with us, if you want to comment, comment on the routine rather than nitpicking his delivery of something he has given to the community in this manner. We are not in school, we are not children. I don’t know about you, but personally I am not a fragile little leaf that flinches every time he hears or reads a curse word.
Hahahaha. Mate, no amount of swearing could make a magician cool! Get a life.
And wow calling me Harry Potter, real original. Notice how my second name isn’t Potter?
To make this clear, I have no problem with criticism of the principles and concepts of my post. I do however have a problem with sensitive little fecks who run screaming when someone uses a naughty word. If anyone had an issue with this post it here or email me at my website (click my name).
Alright mate, enough is enough, Magic Steve, Ianillusion, Byron etc I can see your IP address, you do know that? I do know that you are one person trying to lend credibility to your trolling by posting under multiple names. If you have something to contribute to the site, so be it, send me an email. Until then I’m putting a stop to this.
Irrespective of the language used to describe it, this is a neat little impromptu trick. Thanks.
As Tony says irrespective of the lanuguage the effect is a nice idea and a worker lots of room for comedy or serious presentation depending on your style.I have seen many versions of lie detector some with a force and others with a stacked deck and some introduce props. Always have a good effect with audience. If you had another magician with you one of you could catch a peek and leave the room while the other forces the card etc etc.
Thank you for sharing with us.
However I do feel complelled to write in relation to comments above on language. I personal do not have issues with what language people use and have been known to let a few out myself but it does make me form an oppinion of someone. As Jack says in his interview we have 20 seconds or put it another way a short / Small window for people to form an opinion of us and this remains until you get to know someone which will then either confirm your thoughts or prove you wrong. The use of bad language is not something that all potential clients would like for their event and if the logged in a saw the discussion above I think it could give a bad impression of magicians and magic and they could form the wrong opinion of us and our fine art. All pros will judge on the night how far to take their act. But if done before on a site or web page potential customers will go elsewhere and maybe to a different art away from magic. So best that you are seen to be right for any and all clients and adapt to the event / occasion This site is out there for anyone to find esp. as its called Magic Ireland and it could in some way be seen as a repersentation of all Irish magic and magicians in Ireland. So even though I take the points and arguments you make you do have a responsibility to maintain a high standard if not for yourselves for others some with links posible. You have good interviews /site etc. and is a great idea but please consider the responsibility we all carry not just on line but when we perform too.
I you know Harry and is no way just directed to you I write my thoughts for us all as putting my (Real Job) hat on. When I have events to bring my clients in I need to be sure the act fits the event not my taste. I ask will it be fun / entertaining, suit the audience, what will I get from having a magician or any act what will it add. How will the person I book repersent my company?
So those are my thoughts I write to be positive and maybe make some of you out there consider a different professional approach to our art. I am sure this will create some discussion.
P.S. You mention the site is aimed at adults I do not see anything to point this out on Home page and maybe something you should consider.
Very nice trick although i have been doing something very similar to it for a year now, its amazing how being one-ahead of the spedctator can cause miricales in their minds. BTW: how can one post their own trick they want to share?
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