I have been praticing this move over and over for almost a week, and I'm having trouble with peeking at the center once I've torn up the billet. It looks highly awkward if I try to work it open with my thumb. I was wondering what techniques you guys use to peek at it? Also, I don't think I'd ever be doing this sitting down at a table so it pretty much rules out the easy way.

Note: All I have for learning material is Mark Wilson's book.

I highly recommend picking up X-Rated by Sean Fields.

Once you have done that, read the explanation for North of the Border.

Once you've torn the billet in half, perform the next tear while doing the peek at eye level with your spectator.

Brucelee

Richard Osterlind has the Slow Motion Center Tear for sale on his site. Very, very highly recommended. I used that until I learned my friends method, which I don't believe is in print. I still recommend the Osterlind method because it is extremely clean and you don't have to steal anything away. They can hold onto the pieces as soon as you're done tearing them.

I've really been working on so many different methods of peeking.

The thing is, the center tear is way too obvious for it to fool anyone. Any average person will know that once you handle the billet, you'll peek at it at some point, and that's how you know the message.

-Spectator writes something up, and folds up the paper.

-The magician tears it up, and asks the spectator to burn it.

-Afterwards, the magician knows what the spec was thinking of.

Come on, it's not that hard to explain how thats done.

Maybe learning a billet switch would be better. I'll pick up 13 Steps for my birthday coming up. But I just want a strong, impromptu mindreading effect without cards.

The Punx-Mier Centre Tear is a clever variation from 13 Steps you could look into. Uses two billets, first one written on and immidiately stuck to your forehead, you try to read it but you get it well wrong. So you rip it up and get the spec to write it again, but backwards this time. They hold it to your forehead this time and slowly you get it right.

Spose you can figure out how the routine goes?

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