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Written by

Ivan Laplaud

Translated by

Sébastien Clergue

Everything on the

ULTIMATE MARKED DECKcreated by

Damien Vappereau & Jean-Marc Gahéri

Editions

The secrets + 36 routines

ULTIMATE

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ContentsForewords ................................................... page 7

Marked DecksAn Old Story .................................... page 10The Prop ........................................... page 13

The Ultimate Marked DeckMarking System .............................. page 18Charactéristics ................................. page 21Reading The Marks ......................... page 23Application Domains ....................... page 35

RoutinesImpossible Locations- Lie detector ..................................... page 40- Vibrations ........................................ page 42- Pendulum ........................................ page 44- Ultimate Pateo ................................ page 46

Revelations- Who are you Asking For? ............... page 50- Mental Pad ...................................... page 54- Predi-Cut ......................................... page 58- Cache-card ...................................... page 60- Blinded ............................................ page 65- Up from the Ashes .......................... page 67- Marked and Untouched .................. page 69- Triple divination ............................. page 71- Tabled Divination ........................... page 74- Without Looking ............................. page 77- Lazy ................................................ page 79

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Other Magical Feats- Coincidence .................................. page 84- Exchange Of Views ..................... page 86- Extraordinary Memory ................. page 88- Super-Extraordinary Memory ...... page 91- Think! ........................................... page 93- Count On Me ................................ page 96- Ultimate Monte ............................. page 99- Ultimate Monte - The Sequel ....... page 101- The Trick That (Still) Cannot

Be Explained ................................. page 103- The Spectator Is The Magician ..... page 107

Stacked Deck... And More!- My Stack Is Rich .......................... page 113- Lost For Good ............................... page 114- Estimation Work ........................... page 116- Cased ............................................ page 118

Gambling Demonstration- Blackjack ..................................... page 122

Special ContributionsGaëtan BLOOM- Flash Deduction ............................ page 126- Flash Deduction II ........................ page 131

Darwin ORTIZ- Three Impossible Locations .......... page 136

Michael WEBER- Peeking Princess ........................... page 142

Conclusion ...................................... page 145

Gaëtan BLOOMBO

NUS

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The Marking System

To detect and use the marks on the back of each card of the Ultimate deck, there is no need whatsoever for contact lenses, special viewing

angles, specific lighting or anything else. You only need the deck and ... your eyes!

Whatever their technical levels may be, it can be considered that magicians are in the best position to detect any marking on the backs of playing cards. Before releasing the Ultimate Deck, we showed it to many knowledgeable, well-known and respected magicians. Each time, we said the same thing: “This deck is marked”, which admittedly soun-ded like some sort of a challenge! The cardmen that inspected the deck could only detect the markings after a long and precise inspection of the cards. Even more interesting: as soon as the marking system was explai-ned to them, they could identify and name any card from the deck in an instant. That is how fast and easy it was to learn the system.

This kind of experiment could only prove one thing: the Ultimate Deck achieves a perfect balance between the invisibility and the ease of reading of the markings. The person that does not know where to look will not be able to detect any of the marks, even though he or she is aware that s/he is holding a marked deck. This is probably because most people look for something particular: an added sign or mark on the back of the cards, not something that blends into the back design proper. This is why the Ultimate Deck stands on its own.

Before the Ultimate Deck becomes too popular among cardmen and mentalists, you can try this little test yourself. Hand the cards to one of your fellow magicians and ask him to try and detect something particu-lar on the backs of the cards.

The first aspect to consider is that each mark is not ac-tually located into the corner of the cards, but slightly below it, along the long border, approximately 1/2 inch away from the top border.

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The second thing to notice is that the value of each card can be ac-tually read –there is no code or dot to decipher, the figure is actually printed on the card and you just read it like you would read it in a book. Immediately below the value is the suit of the card. Again, each suit is actually drawn onto the back proper. It’s almost like how you would read the name of a card on its face, except that the inscriptions are prin-ted on the backs. Could it be any simpler? Depending on the cards you are holding, you can now read an A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q and K, and right below, one of the four pips:

In other words: if you can read the name of a card by looking at its face, you are able to read the same name on its back: the value/suit are located in the same place and can be read the same way.

The marking system of the Ultimate Deck works just like a chame-leon or certain insects that can camouflage. It blends into the design, but it can be found and read instantly, when you know what to look for.

Finally, the size of the font that we used for the marks has been ca-refully studied. We wanted a size small enough so that it would remain invisible to the uninformed eye, but large enough to be read from a dis-tance.

Actual size Actual size

2♦♠¨ ¨

Ace of Spades Two of Diamonds

♠ ♥ ♣ ♦

The Ultimate Deck - The Marking System

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For this, we studied the real world conditions of every close-up per-former. There are a lot of existing routines that require the marks to be read from 12-15 inches away, sometimes more. We needed marks that could fill this condition. Damien Vappereau and Jean-Marc Gahéri, who conceived the Ultimate Deck, submitted various font sizes to an ophthalmologist to see which smallest font would still be legible from a distance, even if the card was held at arm’s length by the magician. After various trials and mistakes, we decided on the size that is currently prin-ted on each card of the Ultimate Deck. This is the ideal font size even if you wear glasses! Just try this: hold a card (its back toward yourself) and read the marks. Now, extend your arm so that the card is as far away from you as possible. You should still be able to read the marks. Now put the card face-down on a table and step back to add even more dis-tance from the card (5 or 10 inches). It becomes very difficult to detect the markings. The marks are very easy to detect and read, but only from the necessary distance. This will make sure the spectators in front of you will not be able to detect anything. The secret is well-kept.

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Characteristics

The Ultimate Deck has very interesting properties. Here is a list of some of them getting to familiarize yourself with the strong points

of this deck will probably help you to come up with new ideas or appli-cations.

• The marks are read directly. This is a strong advantage not having to decipher or interpret the information that the marks secretly give you. There are no dots or dashes or any other marks of this kind that you would need to analyze. The suit and value of each card is directly prin-ted on its back.

• The marks are always located at the same place. The marks can be read and identified at a glance. There is no need to start looking in va-rious places to finally see a mark. Such a search is not that complicated to do, of course, but may cause you too spend too much time staring at the back of a card, which could raise some suspicion from the specta-tors. The Ultimate Deck is designed so that there is no need to look in va-rious places on the back of the card in order to deduct its identity. By needing less time to get the needed information on the back of the card, you get more comfort and ease of use, hence less risk of suspicion from the spectators. (For more details on this particular point, please refer to the “Reading the marks” section in the following pages).

• No need to learn anything. There is no special training or code to learn to be able to use the Ultimate Deck. You can know the name of any card right after you have read the instructions. The deck can be used right away. That being said, you will probably become more conformable with it after a few uses, but this is only about getting to familiarize yourself with the deck, not learning any-thing.

The Ultimate Deck - The Characteristics

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• “Rider Back” back design. The Ultimate Deck is printed on the United States Playing Card Company “Rider Back” Bicycle card stock. These are real Bicycle cards, known and used by everyone, which makes the deck very innocent-looking. This card stock also guarantees the quality and longevity of each deck.

• The cards can be used by left-handed persons. At first sight, the Ultimate Deck may seem to be difficult to use by left-handed persons. This is because the “lefties” spread cards from right to left, which only exposes the unmarked, top-right and bottom-left corners of the cards. However, we will see later that left-handed magicians can still use benefit from the Ultimate Deck (please refer to the “What about the lefties?” section of this book).

• Aesthetics. The marking system is both elegant and subtle. As you can see, the marks have been specially designed to blend into the classic “Rider Back” design. The marks are part of the back design. Unfortunately, only you will be able to appreciate such refinement. But after all, it is all part of the fun.

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Who Are You Asking For?Damien Vappereau & Jean-Marc Gahéri

This routine can be performed with the extra “cue” card that is included in each Ultimate Deck.

EffectThe magician places a folded piece of paper on the table, explaining

that this is a prediction that will be revealed in a moment. He asks a spectator to shuffle the deck and select a card. The choice is entirely free. The card is shown to the audience and lost back in the deck, which is put back in its case. The magician then asks the volunteer to unfold the piece of paper. Unexpectedly, the name of the card is not written on it –it is a phone number instead. The spectator is asked to dial this number on any phone nearby, and he reaches the performer’s assistant (or friend, depending on the conditions). This friend appears to possess extra sensorial powers, as he can immediately name the spectator’s cho-sen card!

PreparationYou will first need to make a Xerox copy of the “cue” card that is

included in each Ultimate Deck (we will name it “special card”) and to fax or send it to one of your best friends. Of course, he does not need to be a magician, as no special skill is required to this trick. He will just need to be aware of the special code that we are going to describe below. However, he will need to be a male, as all first names printed on the spe-cial card are male names. Now, insert the cue card (with the list of names facing you) between the card case and the plastic wrapping. The names must be read through the plastic.

Write your friend’s phone number (as legibly as possible) on a piece of paper and fold it in quarters.

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Explanation & Presentation Place the folded piece of paper on the table, explaining that you made

a prediction moments ago. Take the cased deck, making sure the “cue” side is facing you and re-

move the cards from the box. Give the deck to a spectator, asking him to shuffle them. While he is doing so, put the empty card case on the table, with its “normal” side (that is, the one not showing the names) showing up. Ask the spectator to put the deck face-down on the table (making sure you are at a comfortable reading distance from the deck) and to cut it anywhere he likes. Using the marks on the back of the card the spectator cut to, identify the spectator’s selection, then ask him to take it from the tabled packet, to show it to the rest of the audience and to lose it anywhere he likes into the rest of the deck. You can also ask him to shuffle the deck again. Put the deck back in its case. You must give the impression of complete casualness, conveying the idea that the card has merely been thought of and the selection and its current position in the deck do not matter at all.

When you place the cards back in the case, secretly peek at the list of names facing you and find the name corresponding to the selection. You have plenty of time to do that, so there is no need to rush this portion of the effect. Also, it is a natural thing to look at the case when you are putting the cards back inside, so you are all covered. Just remember to keep the “cue” side of the case toward you and that no one is standing behind you. Let’s suppose the selection is the 10 of diamonds. The cue card will tell you that the corresponding name is “Theo”.

Ask the spectator to unfold the piece of paper, insisting on the fact that the prediction was on the table before the card was freely selected. To his surprise, the spectator finds a phone number. “This is my friend’s phone number. His name is Theo. Theo has psychic powers … Even though he is living hundreds of miles away, he is able to name the card you are thinking of.”.

Ask the spectator to call this person immediately (thank God for the existence of cellular phones!). The spectator will immediately reach your friend. By saying “May I talk to Theo please?”, he is secretly telling your friend the name of the card! Pretending to “concentrate”,

ROUTINES - “Who Are You Asking For?”

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your friend can now check his Xeroxed list of names and find the card corresponding to the name he has been called. The rest is now only showmanship … Make sure you and your friend make the most of the revelation as possible.

Here is the special card included in each Ultimate deck:

10 + Diamonds = Theo

Please note that “Hugo” is the last name of the list. Even though it stars with an “H”, the first letter of this name sounds like a “Y”, so we preferred to use the phonetic spelling instead (especially since the trick is performed over the phone).

The cue list is very simple: the names are listed in alphabetical order so it will be easier to locate the card corresponding to the name used by the spectator.

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On this page, you will find two copies of the cue list used for the telephone trick. These are exactly the same as the special card that can be found in every Ultimate Deck.

Feel free to grab a pair of scissors and cut this page away! It has been specially designed for this –the opposite page is blank so you will not damage your book or lose any valuable information!

On this page, you will find two copies of the cue list used for the telephone trick. These are exactly the same as the special card that can be found in every Ultimate Deck.

Feel free to grab a pair of scissors and cut this page away! It has been specially designed for this –the opposite page is blank so you will not damage your book or lose any valuable information!

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�

On this page, you will find two copies of the cue list used for the telephone trick. These are exactly the same as the special card that can be found in every Ultimate Deck.

Feel free to grab a pair of scissors and cut this page away! It has been specially designed for this –the opposite page is blank so you will not damage your book or lose any valuable information!

On this page, you will find two copies of the cue list used for the telephone trick. These are exactly the same as the special card that can be found in every Ultimate Deck.

Feel free to grab a pair of scissors and cut this page away! It has been specially designed for this –the opposite page is blank so you will not damage your book or lose any valuable information!

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Additional Remarks• Make sure you tell your friend to dramatize as much as possible the reve-

lation of the thought-of card –there are any number ways to do this: he can pretend to hesitate, to see “an image appearing in front of him”, he can ask unrelated questions to the spectator to better “feel” things, etc.

• When the selected card has been chosen and lost in the deck, emphasize the fact that the card has been only “thought of”, using adequate wording (for example, use “the mental picture of your card” instead of “the card you just picked.” Although this is technically not true, it will make things much stron-ger. As time goes by, the spectators will remember that your psychic friend found a card there were merely thinking of. This is much stronger than simply finding a card that was lost in the deck.

• The names appearing on the cue list are in alphabetical order, to makes things easier for your friend. It will be faster to locate the name he has been called with by the spectator.

• It is possible that the spectator does not immediately call your friend by his name. He could just say “Hello, I am with the magician and he just told me to call your number so that you could find my card”, or something like that. It is of course vital that you friend hears the code name, so make sure he has a scenario for that. For example, your friend could just say “Who are you asking for?” The situation in itself is already a bit awkward and funny –the spectator calling a number he knows nothing about and asking a stranger about his card. There are plenty of ways to make sure he finally asks for the “right” person - giving the cue name in the process. Another possibility, though a bit more involved, is to have a female friend (living with your friend) answering the phone first, pretending to have no clue about “the thought-of card”. Then, she is to say “I have no idea what you’re talking about –are you sure you are talking to the right person? Oh, you want Theo. Now I unders-tand. Just a moment please.” Another possibility would be for your friend to first pretend that he does not understand what the spectator is asking, then ask him if he is certain he is talking to the right person: “Are you sure you are talking to the right person? Who were you asking for? Theo? Well, I am Theo so I should know, but … oh … Wait a moment … Are you with my friend, X … The magician? Ok now I see, this is just one of his little experiments. Ok, please concentrate …”, etc.

• It is a good idea to ask the spectator to turn the “loudspeaker” mode on (if his cell phone has one) so that everyone in the audience can listen to your friend and enjoy the performance.

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ROUTINES - “Who Are You Asking For?”

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