Monthly Update #16 (April 2024)
Monthly Update #16 (April 2024)
The Disclaimer (Secret Issue), two variations of "Chicago Opener", and some more watch-worthy videos.
Hi there, fellow magicians and magic enthusiasts. I’m excited to present the April edition of Marty’s Magic Ruseletter, which is only two days late—a magical feat in itself! 😉
This time, I have conjured up something special for you: not one but two unusual variations of the legendary “Chicago Opener”. Get ready to leave your audiences amazed, free from the shackles of the dreaded double lift!
As usual, I have also uncovered three more videos worth watching. So, prepare yourself your favourite beverage—mine is a steaming hot cup of Earl Grey tea—and let’s get started! ☕
New on MBOT: Shhh, It’s a Secret! 🤫
Exciting news! The creative team behind The Disclaimer magazine are giving away a free secret issue to all new subscribers (anyone who becomes a supporter before May 14th).
You can get this issue for free by subscribing to the offbeat magic periodical and emailing chicagomagicbash@gmail.com. Tell them Marty Jacobs sent you, and you’ll receive the secret issue. In fact, this is the only way to get your hands on a copy (via a referral from a current member). Even current subscribers don’t get one unless they generate at least one referral. Full details of the offer and more information about The Disclaimer can be found on my blog, Marty’s Bag of Tricks:
If you’re not in the mood to read the blog post, here are all the pertinent details in a single paragraph: The Disclaimer is an independent magic magazine run by Tom Dobrowolski and his friends. It has been publishing magic on a monthly basis since April 2021. They also produce a physical yearly book, collecting all the issues in one hardbound volume. You can learn more about the magazine on Tom’s website. I’ve been a gold-level supporter of The Disclaimer since its first year, and I thoroughly recommend becoming a subscriber, especially if you like creative card and coin magic (the magazine does occasionally include non card and coin items, as well).
New Ruseletter Articles This Month
This month, I finally finished writing up a variation of “Chicago Opener” that I invented many years ago. I call it “Two Hot to Trot”. The other routine, “Envelope Opener”, is brand new, and I haven’t had a chance to perform it yet. But I think it has the potential to be an entertaining piece of card magic, suitable for more formal situations.
Both routines avoid using the double lift/turnover and end clean. While this might not be as important for the professional magician, who can quickly move on to another trick (or group of spectators), it’s more important for an amateur magician who performs “social magic” for friends, family, and co-workers. People are less polite and more “grabby”. They will often want to see if you have a duplicate card in your deck after a performance of the “Chicago Opener”.
One thing that really bothers me is when a magician claims that “good audience management” can prevent spectators from wanting to examine your props; this seems like a strange notion to me. If you’re performing amazing tricks with a pack of cards, it’s perfectly reasonable for someone to ask to take a closer look at them. In fact, it would be odd to refuse this request. The logical conclusion from your audience, if you do refuse or appear to guard the cards too closely, is that you must be using some kind of “trick deck”.
My personal philosophy is that we should allow spectators to examine our props whenever possible, even if this requires working out a way to clean up an effect, so long as it doesn’t negatively disrupt the flow of your routine. With effects like the “Chicago Opener”, spectators will want to inspect the odd-backed card after it changes to match their selection. If you let them do this, it would be highly suspicious to prevent them from looking at the rest of the cards as well.
Finding the duplicate of the second force card might also lead a person to the method, even though it should be there in the deck. Additionally, because the first chosen card turns red and then transforms to match the second selection, logically, the first selection shouldn’t be in the deck at the end of the routine (but the second one should). Granted, most people won’t notice this discrepancy. However, these two variations address it by making two cards turn red and secretly ditching the duplicate card.
Are these two alternative handlings better than the original? No, they’re just different and have certain advantages that might appeal to some performers. In truth, developing these tricks has taught me that it’s hard to beat the simplicity, directness and practicality of Al Leech’s original method.
I’ve written some brief thoughts on the structure of “Chicago Opener” in the article to justify the changes. I’m also writing a longer piece on the trick for my blog based on Eugene Burger’s controversial opinion that the trick “isn’t very good.” This article will be published in the next couple of weeks.
Three Videos Worth Watching
Finally, here are three more videos that I watched this month that I think you should watch, too.
Red Hot Mama, Othmarius Style!
While researching different variations of “Chicago Opener”, I discovered this over-the-top handling by German magician Othmarius. I like how he plays up his “crazy German” persona in his video performances. This handling is pretty cool, too.
Othmarius has taken a break from uploading to YouTube. I hope he returns to the platform because his channel contains excellent and extremely entertaining content. He also ran a lively Discord server as well, although he hasn’t been active on it recently.
Cardboard Dealing Machine
This cardboard dealing machine is very impressive. It would make an excellent prop for a close-up magic show or maybe just as a novelty at your next Poker night. There’s something strangely mesmerising about watching videos like this. You can download the template files needed to make this dealing machine for less than $10.
And, yes, I did also find a cardboard automatic shuffler on YouTube as well!
Hana Hou by Curtis Kam
“Hana Hou” is a beautiful moving-hole effect by Curtis Kam, a member of The Disclaimer crew and a professional magician based in Hawaii. Curtis uses this effect as a quick encore to any effect that involves a signed card, transforming it into something even more special for the lucky person who gets to keep it.
If you’re wondering, “Hana Hou” is Hawaiian for “Do It Again!” This trick was first published in the lecture notes I Want to be a Spanish Magician When I Grow Up by Tom Dobrowolski. It is now available as a video download from Big Blind Media.
That’s all for this update.
Yours Magically,
Marty