The Nth Degree°

A new collection of card routines and essays designed to elevate your magic and deepen your purose

2023
Written by John Guastaferro
Work of John Guastaferro
158 pages (Hardcover), published by Vanishing Inc.
Illustrated with photographs
Language: English
59 entries
Cover photograph
Creators Title Comments & References Page Categories
John Bannon Foreword
ix
John Guastaferro About the Nth Degree°
xi
Chapter One: Imagine That
1
John Guastaferro Invisible Opener two poker chips, deck of cards with rubber bands appear, followed by invisible deck effect
  • Chip Flurry
  • Deck Production
  • Imagination into Reality
  • Transition
Also published here
  • RSG Notes, 2012
 3
John Guastaferro Perception Plus blank cards change into Jacks change, then into Aces and blank again, presentation with ambigram
Inspired byRelated to 10
John Guastaferro Double-Blank Display showing all cards blank on one side, "double" Flushtration Count
 		11
Larry Jennings Rhythm Count
13
John Guastaferro Blank Slate blank deck, Joker is printed, then whole deck
Related to 16
John Guastaferro What's Your Mantra?
21
Chapter Two: Introducing the Aces
23
John Guastaferro Freestyle Aces two spectators cut and shuffle deck and end up with four Aces on top, out-of-hand
  • Blackjack Kicker
Inspired byVariations 25
John Guastaferro Freestyle Shuffle shuffling sequence of two halves by two spectators that retains top and bottom stocks, starts with ribbon spread
 		26
John Guastaferro Self-Checkout one spectator cuts and shuffles deck and ends up with four Aces on top, out-of-hand
Inspired by 30
John Guastaferro Royal Transpo red and black Aces transpose with poker chip as visual aid, then the Aces transform into a royal flush
Inspired by
  • "Color Blind" (John Guastaferro, Brainstom DVD Vol. 1, 2003)
 33
John Guastaferro Tipping Point four Ace production using the poke action
  • Alternative Endings
    • Royal Flush Kicker
    • Card Change
Inspired by 36
John Guastaferro Finding Your Purpose
  • Napkin Exercise
 		41
Chapter 3: Eye Catchers
45
John Guastaferro Stranger Sandwich signed card vanishes, then visibly appears between two sandwich cards twice, it is odd-backed as kicker
 		47
Tabled Add-On tabled cards are picked up with left hand and cards from the deck are added behind them
 		48
John Guastaferro Double Vision two cards transpose, then whole deck vanishes (first all cards except top and bottom cards, then those one by one as well), found in back pocket
  • Slow-Motion Deck Vanish
Inspired by 54
John Guastaferro Double Bluff Control for two cards
Inspired by 54
John Guastaferro Bermuda three selected cards place on table in triangle configuration, card with a swirl on it appears in its center, other three cards change to blank cards
Inspired by 60
John Guastaferro GPS odd-backed card with compass drawn on its back is used to find selection and turns out to actually be the selection
Inspired by
  • "Tracker" (John Carey)
Also published here
  • "GPS" (John Guastaferro, Seven Wonders, 2014)
 63
John Guastaferro Dissecting One Degree
Related to 67
Chapter 4: Fourscore
69
John Guastaferro The Other Mates spectator pockets a card from a poker hand (high card force), performer divines it and the spectator finds its mates by spelling trick title
Inspired by
  • "All Three Kings" (John Guastaferro, Hand Off My Notes, 2015)
 71
Jerry K. Hartman High-Card Mental Force spectator thinks of highest card in a poker hand
Also published here 71
John Guastaferro Assembly Line four spectators each lose a Jack in a quarter of a deck, all Jacks assemble on top of one of the packets
Also published here
  • "Assembly Line" (John Guastaferro, RSG Notes, 2012)
 74
John Guastaferro Smooth Criminal Display
Inspired by 75
Dean Dill Equivoque Procedure one out of four
Also published here
  • "Aces in their Faces", Bob Kohler, 1997
 76
John Guastaferro Hide & Seek
Inspired by
  • "Quickpocket" (John Guastaferro, Second Storm Vol. 1)
 80
John Guastaferro Swivel Switch Veeser Concept handling
 		80
John Guastaferro Tailspin Twist Jacks turn over one by one, then All Backs, blank faces, then transformation into Aces
Inspired by
  • "Tailspin" (John Guastaferro, Brainstorm DVDs, 2003)
Related to 		84
John Guastaferro Smooth Spread Sequence for twisting routine
 		85
John Guastaferro Keys to Creativity
  • Use all the Crayons in Your Box
  • Collaborate
  • Keep a Discovery Journal
  • Make Uncommon Connections
  • Create Prequels and Sequels
  • Be Constantly Curious
 		91
Chapter 5: Hand on Deck
95
John Guastaferro Changemaker card peeked at, performer gives indifferent card to spectator and places one card under his hand and names selection, card vanishes and the card that the spectator holds is now the selection
 		97
John Guastaferro Proximity Peek Control card peeked at, deck shuffled in groups, selection ends up near bottom
 		97
John Guastaferro Hybrid Triumph spectators help mixing the cards face-up/face-down, Cut Deeper
Inspired by 100
John Guastaferro Swivel Display deck beveled and riffled in incomplete faro condition
 		102
John Guastaferro Hands Off Half Pass during a cutting sequence
 		103
John Guastaferro Biddleless Redux biddle trick without biddle steal, card apparently thought of via Hartman's High-Card Mental Force, variations:
  • Underhanded
  • Card Box
  • Prediction
  • ACAAN (Simon Black)
Inspired by 105
Push-In Steal bottom card pushed in as top cards are stripped out
 		107
John Guastaferro Reign of Tearer variation with three cards, all halves match
  • Streamlined Alternative - One match, no dealing
Inspired by 110
John Guastaferro Twenty Words
115
Chapter 6: Mysteries
117
John Guastaferro Spectral card vanishes from packet and reappears reversed in it
 		119
Edward Marlo Straight Cut Placement
Also published here 119
John Guastaferro Whisper Mental four selections, mental aspect through wording only, last card "Box Whisperer"
Inspired by 124
Joshua Jay, John Guastaferro Slip Shift Handling
Also published here 125
John Guastaferro Blackjack Fever spectator names any two-digit number up to 52, that number is counted to and the digital root is then counted back, the cards on two piles form a blackjack and are predicted
Inspired by 132
John Guastaferro Book of Clues
  • alternative ending by Andrew Brown
Inspired by 135
John Guastaferro Get Out of Your Own Way
139
Chapter 7: Extra!
141
John Guastaferro Crystal Clear red and black Aces transpose, rest of deck becomes clear block, Omni Deck
 		143
John Guastaferro, David Kuraya, Eric Mead Mystery Wand signed card placed among the Aces, wand made from rolled-up odd-backed card, that card turns out to be the signed selection
Inspired by 146
John Guastaferro Sublime In All every card turns out to have "Don't Pick Me" written on its back except selection
  • Phase One - Magician's Turn
  • Phase Two - Participant's Turn
  • Phase Three - Subliminal Influence
  • Alternate Ending - Strangers' Gallery Force
 		151
John Guastaferro Dribble Spread Force deck dribbled onto table in spread
 		152
John Guastaferro Epilogue
157
Data entered by Denis Behr, September 2024.