Easy Does It #6: Pipo's Perverse Production
An easy 4-Card trick that works because you fail!
Welcome to the latest edition of Easy Does It, a regular Ruseletter column dedicated to easy, and sometimes completely self-working, magic tricks. This time, however, you’ll need to know some rudimentary sleight-of-hand, but nothing more complicated than a false overhand shuffle and a double undercut. The core moves used are well within reach of the beginner or intermediate card handler. However, if you’re an accomplished sleight-of-hand practitioner, you can substitute the simple false cuts and shuffles with more sophisticated ones; you’ll find some advanced-handling suggestions in the write-up on my blog (linked to at the end of this article).
The method makes novel use of Henry Christ’s famous force, also known as the 202nd Force. Instead of using it to force a card, the same technique is used to switch a freely chosen card for a King. (This idea has other uses that I will be exploring soon.)
What if your biggest magical “failures” became your greatest triumphs? In this instalment of Easy Does It, I’m sharing a new trick called “Pipo’s Perverse Production”, an impressive four-of-a-kind production that is much easier than it appears. The unique presentation that accompanies the trick turns a series of apparent mistakes into an unexpected triumph that even you, the magician, doesn’t fully understand!
What is Perverse Magic?
The trick was inspired by “Four Kings Opening” by Spanish magician Pipo Villianueva, along with his “perverse magic” presentations. Perverse magic is an intriguing category of magic. It’s a performance style in which the magician appears surprised, confused, or even irritated by the magical events unfolding, creating a comedic or absurd aesthetic. This approach sharply contrasts with traditional conjuring, where the magician is presented as omnipotent and in complete control of the magical phenomena.
The routine starts innocently enough:
A spectator picks a card, let’s say the Ten of Hearts. It’s placed face down on the table. You attempt to find the other three Tens in the deck, but you “accidentally” find three Kings instead. You decide to give up on finding the Tens and attempt to locate the fourth and final King. However, something goes wrong, and you produce the spectator’s card, the Ten of Hearts. The card on the table is turned over—it’s the missing King! Despite all your apparent blunders, you’ve successfully produced all four Kings AND found their selected card, even though it was never lost in the first place!
In the early part of the twentieth century, Australian magician Charles Waller (1879-1960) was tired of the pompous, all-powerful magician persona. He pioneered a radical approach that he called “perverse magic”. The first use of the term can be found in his 1920s book Up His Sleeve (the full title is Original Creation for Magicians Hitherto Kept “Up His Sleeve”). Waller used the term to describe a magic act in which the magician was surprised and, in some cases, unaware of the magic happening around him.
In more recent years, Gerald Deutsch (1937-2021), an amateur magician from New York who studied under Slydini, has expanded on the concept further. For 16 years, he shared his thoughts, ideas, and effects on a discussion thread dedicated to perverse magic, which can still be found on the Genii Magazine Forum. (His monthly postings were also compiled in a large, hardcover book, Gerald Deutsch’s Perverse Magic: The First Sixteen Years.)
Key Elements of Perverse Magic
The real beauty of this routine lies in its clever construction—most of the work is done during the initial forcing procedure, enabling you to focus on what matters most—the perverse presentation. Waller identified five core principles that make perverse magic so effective. Let’s see how they apply to our routine:
Reversal of Control - Instead of confidently commanding the cards to obey, you become the victim of their rebellious nature. The cards refuse to cooperate with your stated intentions, doing exactly what they want rather than what you’re trying to accomplish.
Objects with Agency - The cards develop their own mischievous personality; they seem to deliberately thwart your efforts (for example, by producing three Kings when you are searching for Tens). The deck then gives you the spectator’s card when you’re looking for the final King—the selected card and King transposing behind your back!
Audience Complicity - The spectators become silent witnesses to the conspiracy (especially if you don’t look at the face of the chosen card when it is selected). They watch the cards “outsmart” you at every turn, creating that “bond of comradeship born of conspiracy” that Waller mentions in his book.1
Comedy through Frustration - Your mounting frustration and apparent incompetence become an entertaining source of humour. Your visible exasperation at the deck’s disobedience creates the comedic effect of the piece.
Enhanced Misdirection - The perverse magic presentation provides perfect cover for the trick’s method. The audience is so focused on your “failures” and the pack’s apparent rebellion that they miss the technical execution entirely.
These elements elevate the trick from a demonstration of skill into a charming battle of wills between magician and cards, with the cards ultimately proving they’re the ones in charge!
1920s Patter for the Production
Since this is a new trick, I haven’t settled on my final approach for its presentation. Nor have I written a script yet. Given the somewhat bizarre nature of the routine, I thought it might be enjoyable to develop some patter in the style of a 1920s magician, similar to the kind of presentation Charles Waller might have used for his perverse magic back in the golden age of vaudeville.
Here’s what I have so far for a script. I’ve included brief performance notes in square brackets. For the complete instructions, read the full explanation on my blog:
“Now, cards are supposed to be obedient servants, pieces of pasteboard that do our bidding whether we’re playing cards or performing tricks. But sometimes... sometimes they develop minds of their own! Let me show you what I mean.”
Update: On reflection, and thanks to some helpful feedback from a fellow amateur magician, this isn’t the most sensible way to introduce the trick. By mentioning that the cards have “minds of their own”, we’re announcing that you expect the cards to misbehave, which diminishes the sense of frustration and surprise you display when you fail to find the correct cards, making your perverse performance less believable. Maybe something like this would be better:
“Ladies and gentlemen, what you are about to witness is a feat of extraordinary skill and precision that I have perfected over countless years of diligent practice.
This particular demonstration has never once failed me in countless performances before the most discerning of audiences.”
That last sentence might be a bit too pompous and give the impression that something is about to go wrong (and take you down a peg or two), which could undermine the surprise element of the trick. But hopefully, you grasp the main idea; this kind of introduction prepares you to become visibly annoyed, frustrated, and even a little angry with the cards when they don’t do what you expect.
[False shuffle and cut the cards.]
“As I spread through the cards, please touch one. Look, you almost selected this one. Here’ I’ll put your card on the table in front of you. To prevent it from misbehaving, we’ll put this glass on top of it.”
[Perform the Christ Force Switch. Then produce the first three Kings. After each “mistake”, react with increasing bewilderment and mild annoyance.]
“What the deck?! Three Kings? But I distinctly asked for the other Tens! Cards, this is most unseemly behaviour! Well, we might as well forget about those tempestuous Tens. Let’s try and find that fourth and final King, instead.”
[Perform the final production, finding the spectator’s chosen card instead of the King.]
“And now, when I try to find the final King, what do I get? A Ten! Wait a minute, isn’t this your Ten? The very card that’s supposed to be on the table, under the glass!”
[Final revelation, with a mixture of resignation and rueful admiration for the cards.]
“Well, I must admit it—the cards have made me look like a fool. A complete four-king idiot! But look what they’ve accomplished behind my back—all four Kings found, and somehow they’ve managed to locate your card, even though it was never lost in the first place!”
To a modern audience, this style of delivery may seem somewhat unhinged. However, it could work if you embrace this exaggerated, slightly eccentric old-fashioned magician persona. I like the cheeky use of a minced oath (the “four-king idiot” bit), but you can leave it out if you don’t like it.
If the whimsical 1920s style isn’t to your taste, try presenting the routine as a magic trick gone wrong, tapping into the relatable frustration caused by modern life, e.g., when a piece of technology isn’t working as expected. Think of it less as a vaudeville showman and more as someone whose high-tech gadgets refuse to work during a presentation (anyone who’s had a slide presentation go awry knows how this feels). The comedy arises from your exasperated yet charming effort to keep everything on track. You might also tell your audience that, while it appears to be an ordinary deck, it is packed with “advanced technology” that can perform magic tricks automatically.
Why Audiences Love Perverse Magic
The “perverse” nature of this trick creates a distinctive and captivating emotional journey. Audiences feel sympathy as they watch you struggle, amusement at your apparent incompetence, and genuine astonishment when everything resolves itself, much to your confusion!
This emotional rollercoaster makes the magic more memorable and impactful than a typical “perfect” performance where you play the role of the all-powerful magician.
Traditional magic creates distance between performer and audience—you’re the wizard, they’re mere mortals. Perverse magic is one way to break down that barrier, making you more relatable. More human.
Learn Pipo’s Perverse Production
Start practising “Pipo’s Perverse Production” today, and discover how magical “mistakes” can become your greatest triumphs. Learn this routine, and you’ll have a powerful opener that combines basic sleight of hand, bags of entertainment value, and genuine astonishment into one unforgettable experience.
I’ll be exploring more perverse magic on my blog and in the Ruseletter in the coming months. In the meantime, I hope this trick serves as a suitable introduction to perverse magic.
Yours Magically,
Marty
P.S. You might want to experiment with where you place the chosen card after performing the Christ Force Switch. Aim to put it somewhere your participant won’t be tempted to look at before the routine ends. If you’re careful, you can drop the card into a spectator’s pocket or have them sit on it until you produce the selected card from the deck during the trick’s finale.
Charles Waller, Original Creation for Magicians Hitherto Kept “Up His Sleeve” (F. G. Thayer, 1920), 10.
Isn't this the famous trick usually called Matching the Cards?