I really LOVE Hollow by Looch,
as taught in this lecture,
and if you don't have a laser
cutter as Looch had access to,
a crafts/fabrics store has a near-perfect hole puncher that is
suitable and will save you a ton of time
if you've tried an exacto knife (which was my first
try--total failure in time investment and also the edges
are too jagged for smooth
sliding...that'll be clear to you if you know the method).
However, I never use it anymore
(at a paid gig)
because I can't justify taking up all that valuable pocket space just for a full
peek of a business card (I've become very conservative with pocket space),
when there are
equally effective methods such as Banachek's from Psi Series or, which I personally use, Kuff's Bold
Business--but with Convincing Control which
I feel is much fairer than telling the participant
to place her card on the top of a stack and then cut the cards multiple times as Kuffs does.
Anyone else do Bold Business but with a Convincing Control instead, or is that just me?
"All that pocket space?," you ask?
Yes. If you're only planning on doing one effect,
and
it's a DD, then it's negligible.
Looch here had the benefit of being able to have a case off to
the side of the stage and walk on-stage then off-stage
to draw from his case. I do walk-around,
and pocket-space is precious to me.
If you do around 10 effects at a show,
and each of
the 10 require that much room in your pockets,
then you'll need a fanny pack and/or you'll look
ridiculous.
This is especially true if you can achieve the same result
with what you
already carry on you--a stack of ordinary business cards.
Also I've performed the Rock,
Paper, Scissors,
with success. However, I didn't like that all of the outs
are in his
pockets (since my FIRST thought was that the MO was MO, and therefore I wanted to check all his
pockets).
So I place a wager on the outcome of the game, and folded into the wager someone holds
is one of the outs.
The other out is on the back of my lanyard.
And the 3rd out is in view
the entire time (not my pocket, which again seems shady).
Of the 2 above effects I just
mentioned which are taught in this lecture, I prefer the RPS. Why?
1. Because I can do a
DD using business cards in a few OTHER ways, using a stack of ordinary business cards, which are
basically as clean, but do not require extra pocket space (since I already carry a stack of ordinary
business cards on me). With Hollow, your gimmick can be used only for Hollow. And it takes up as
much pocket-space as another deck of cards (almost--a stack of at least 25 business cards is what
you're looking at). Not an issue for everyone.
2. Because RPS seems so immune from
guile/deception. It's a game kids play on the playground. Derren Brown did it sensationally, it
seems so spontaneous and innocuous.
3. It takes up as much pocket space as 3 business
cards. That's fantastic.
-
He also shows his effect which was shown in his SAD
DVD, where he memorizes a deck of cards in a flash. When I first saw SAD, I didn't like this effect
(seemed boring I think). But seeing it again, I'm starting to like it more.
Just performed a NYE show,
and did the RPS probably 4 times (on different sets).
I believe firmly in my MO variation,
and I believe it's much better than using your pockets.
But wanted to mention that one girl, Wendy, at the end said,
"There's a 33% probability ..."
And I said, "You forgot there's a possibility of a draw, as well."
Then a man said, "Yes, that changes it and makes it even harder."
Then Wendy said, "But you knew what you were gonna throw."
That bothered me (it should be obvious why to those who know the method). Didn't spoil the trick, since she didn't think of the MO;
but still made me think. Maybe it would be better to rewrite the prediction by leaving out what I throw and only call attention to what the participant threw, "You won!...you'll throw scissors." And leave it there.
P.S. I mentioned that one of my MO's is the wager.
I had been writing it on a blank card and folding it up inside. But that's stupid (and messy, and needs to be carefully hidden, especially since a have another person hold onto it, or put it in their pocket, or keep their hand down on it). Instead, simply WRITE it ON the bill! (in such a way that unfolding it once shows, "You win!" then unfolding it completely reveals further, "..you chose scissors." Though I always let the person unfold the prediction, as that seems MUCH cleaner than my unfolding it and reading it to them).
