Set-up

173 entries in Cards / Effect Themes / Spelling / Miscellaneous / Set-up
  
Creators Title Comments & References Source Page Categories
Charles T. Jordan, William McGrew Speaking of Pink Elephants No. 8, named card changes back color, then the whole deck, card spelled to, card travels from one half to the other, red-blue peek deck cards Ten New Prepared Card Tricks 16
Charles T. Jordan The Incomprehendo Speller set-up and one-way deck The Four Full Hands (Issue Four Full Hands of Down to the Minute Magical Effects) 36
Unknown A Baffling Spell card put on table is used to spell to second selection Card Manipulations (Issue 2) 29
Tom Sellers The Cute Speller using packet with cards that spell with same number of letters Card Tricks That Work 20
George C. Hanneman A Different Card Spelling selection made, when suit and values are spelled, cards with same suit and value show up The Jinx 1-50 (Issue 15) 75
Audley Walsh The Card Phenomenon banks, automatic placement, see page 172 for improvement by Charles Larsen The Jinx 1-50 (Issue 22) 130
Charles T. Jordan Wizard Spelling Master two banks that spell with nine resp. twelve card each Encyclopedia of Card Tricks 47
Unknown The Double Speller two selections, out of hand selection procedure Encyclopedia of Card Tricks 58
Tom Sellers The Whispering Speller cards in small packet are spelt apparently at random Encyclopedia of Card Tricks 59
Theodore Annemann Spell It Yourself two decks, progressive set-up, out of hand selection procedure Encyclopedia of Card Tricks 62
Charles T. Jordan Incomprehendo Speller set-up and one-way deck Encyclopedia of Card Tricks 63
Frank Squires, Lloyd E. Jones Frank Squires' Speller answers to questions about selection are spelt out, selection shows upVariationsAlso published here Encyclopedia of Card Tricks 61
Unknown Perfect Spelling Trick deck with four duplicate sets of thirteen different cards Encyclopedia of Card Tricks 64
Unknown Card Spelling Deluxe very fair, deck with four duplicate sets of twelve different cards Encyclopedia of Card Tricks 64
Unknown The Master Card Speller using a slick card Encyclopedia of Card Tricks 98
Unknown Alice in Wonderland card turns over and is spelled to, double backer Encyclopedia of Card Tricks 117
Charles T. Jordan Incomprehendo stacked, one-way backs Encyclopedia of Card Tricks 165
Unknown A Spelling Trick short card Encyclopedia of Card Tricks 312
Louis Nikola Spelling Bee trick with Nikola memorized deck Encyclopedia of Card Tricks 391
Louis Nikola Spelling spelling out some cards with the Nikola memorized deckAlso published here Encyclopedia of Card Tricks 395
Val Evans Multeffect Cards long-short paired deck used for a routine of eighteen different effectsRelated toVariations The Jinx 1-50 (Issue Winter Extra 1936/37) 177
Val Evans, Franz Christensen An Invitation to Lunch...with Beer picture cards are spelled out with story, always beer shows up, handling of Christensen's "Spell Hound" (Nov. 1936 Genii) The Jinx 1-50 (Issue 35) 238
Henry Christ The New Spell Me twelve card set-up or four sets of douplicatesInspired byRelated to The Jinx 1-50 (Issue 37) 249
Robert Parrish The Version used by Robert Parrish as previous routine but setting a selection in spelling position You'd be Surprised 41
T. Nelson Downs "The T. Nelson Downs Speller" three cards, stacked in three banks Greater Magic 311
Theodore Annemann Spell it Yourself duplicates Greater Magic 313
Unknown The "Perfect" Spelling Trick four banks of duplicates with thirteen cards Greater Magic 323
Jean Hugard A Card Fairy Tale and Automatic Spelling two riffle shuffles, suits are separated and used to tell story, match values, spell to values, ...
a. The Fairy Tale
b. Matching Cards
c. Automatic Spelling
d. Super-Spelling		 Greater Magic 320
John Northern Hilliard A Suggested Routine of Spelling Tricks routine suggestion of tricks described in spelling chapter Greater Magic 323
Louis Lam Square Magic square with words is cut, various words spelled to find selection Be Deceived 25
Charles T. Jordan Ultimo - The Ace of Mechanical Decks trick in which half the cards are long-short pairs glued face-to-face on one end, many trick examples The Jinx 51-100 (Issue Winter Extra 1938/39) 371
Unknown Card on Parade selection is spelled as final of thirteen cards Expert Card Technique 349
Unknown Multi-Spelling Trick "The repeat Spelling of Mentally Selected Cards" Expert Card Technique 347
Theodore Annemann Trance Card Al Koran type deck for spelling routine The Jinx 101-151 (Issue 151) 885
Jack Vosburgh Automaton Spell using one-way backs The Jinx 101-151 (Issue 130) 748
Walter B. Gibson Super-Duper Speller clarification on page 90 The Phoenix 1-50 (Issue 19) 79
Jean Hugard, Frederick Braue A Fantastic Spell spectator spells out blank card, nude card and other funny cards Prepared Cards and Accessories 9
Bruce Elliott The Back Room credit information on the speller The Phoenix 1-50 (Issue 19) 82
Roger Barkann Magician's Nightmare selections is spelled out, with Duolette The Phoenix 1-50 (Issue 29) 119
Franklin V. Taylor Headline Speller silent spelling The Phoenix 1-50 (Issue 38) 155
Jean Hugard, Frederick Braue The Silent Speller ten twelve-letter card set-up Tricks and Sleights 15
Frederick Mosteller Bravo! five decks, multiple phase mental speller, suits spelled and values counted (count-spell), see Back Room reference for correctionsRelated toVariations The Phoenix 1-50 (Issue 49) 200
Jerry Sorensen Speller Idea full stack The Phoenix 51-100 (Issue 66) 271
Tom Bowyer Routine with a Svengali Deck different effects with a svengali deck, reverse, spelling, counting, all alike Hugard's Magic Monthly - Volumes I, II, III and IV (Vol. 2, No. 1) 54
Roger Barkann One Plus One Equals Three Related to My Best 122
Tommy Dowd John Doe ... Magician speller, miscalling selected card, for magiciansVariationsAlso published here The Phoenix 51-100 (Issue 90) 366
Unknown Yogi Spelling Test four groups of six arranged cards The Fine Art of Magic 186
Unknown The Eighteen-Cards Spelling Trick The Fine Art of Magic 188
Unknown The Triple Spelling Trick with the corner-short The Fine Art of Magic 191
Ronald B. Edwards Spellcast spelling to named card The Phoenix 151-200 (Issue 181) 724
Jack Yeager The Mental Magic Cards limited choice, spelling Ireland's Yearbooks (Issue Yearbook 1949) 26
Cardini Cardini's Mind Reading Card Trick No. 16, one of six cards thought-of, shuffled back in half the deck, then spelled to, six duplicates and progressive spelling set-up Scarne on Card Tricks 33
Edward Marlo Effect No. 7 peeked-at card is spelled to and found reversed The Marlo Miracle Deck 3
Theodore Annemann Improvement 8,000 Annemann's Buried Treasures 14
Tommy Dowd John Doe - Magician speller, miscalling selected card, spectator plays magicianRelated toAlso published here The Best in Magic 108
Bill Nord The Magic of Manhattan Cut the deck into two piles, one pile is counted, the two digits in the number of cards is added together to get a single digit, count down to that number in that pile to find selection, the phrase THE MAGIC OF MANHATTAN is spelled to find selection Mathematics, Magic And Mystery 20
Russell "Rusduck" Duck Snibbets Rusduck's system for Si Stebbins, speller The Cardiste (Issue 4) 10
Russell "Rusduck" Duck Revolving Poker with spelling The Cardiste (Issue 6) 9
Russell "Rusduck" Duck Full Deck Speller spelling all cards in the deck The Cardiste (Issue 6) 8
Patrick Page Beyond the Veil cut-to card is spelled out in second deck and produces same cardVariations Card Tricks 316
Tony Shiels Seven Sinners spelling James Bond enemies on cards, then psychometry The Pallbearers Review Vol. 1-4 (Vol. 1, No. 7) 36
Al Leech Spell and Count simplified handling (Clue trick originally from Sept. 1966 MUM)Inspired by A Last Look at Leech 28
Edward Marlo Marlo's "Unknown" Speller three methods, stack and almost no stack, see also page 162 for note by Ackerman Hierophant (Issue 2) 58
Roy Walton The Wacky Card Trick with five poker dice The Devil's Playthings 24
T. Page Wright Spell Down spelling of a card, spelled value includes other three cards with same value and spelled suit only cards with same suit The Compleat Magick - Volume 1 (Issue 4) 18
Paul Swinford Son of Faro Spell CCCC More Faro Fantasy 58
Carl Sten Stenquist's Mexican Money Gimmick Expert Card Chicanery 60
Earl Keyser 22-Card Faro Spelling Trick Epilogue (Issue 16) 151
Frederick Braue Frank Squires' Speller with any Card answers to questions about selection are spelt out, selection shows up The Living End 114
Karl Fulves Computer cards spelled out, the deck is always wrong, color-changing back kickerInspired by The Pallbearers Review Vol. 5-8 (Vol. 8, No. 1) 570
Frank Squires Frank Squires' Speller answers to questions about selection are spelt out, selection shows upAlso published here The Living End 114
Jerry K. Hartman, Joseph K. Schmidt Thinking Spell Spell to two selections, down under dealInspired by
  • "The Magic Spell" (Dai Vernon, Hugard's Magic Monthly, Oct 1946, p. 281)
 Means & Ends 63
Unknown Jack the Bartender's Deal Card spelled to (Two Spades). Two of Spades found, then the TWO pile are all twos, SPADE pile is Royal Flush in Spades. (First shown to Eddie by unknown bartender)Related to The Artful Dodges of Eddie Fields 18
Nick Trost Compute-a-thot Three spot in inserted into packet, selection is found by spelling or counting or next to Three Subtle Card Magic: Part Two 33
Gene Castillon Noah's Mix Up! spelling trick with card packet with pictures of animals, see also page 59 Apocalypse Vol. 1-5 (Vol. 1, No. 5) 49
Simon Aronson Spelling built into the Aronson Stack, spelling bank A Stack To Remember 11
David Britland Acepell four aces are produced, first by spelling a cut to card Spell-Binder (Vol. 1, No. 3) 46
Derek Dingle Colour Changing Any Card Speller peeked card is spelled to - different back The Complete Works of Derek Dingle 104
Phillip Young Gas spelling trick, ABC cards among deck form the word Rolaids Fingers don't Entertain, People Do 23
Father Cyprian Shock Spell spelling to any picture card in packet, then matching cards are producedInspired byRelated to After Jordan 12
David Austin That'll Do Nicely! card is found under credit card in deck, credit card appears, spelling variation Spell-Binder (Vol. 3, No. 25) 490
Stephen Tucker Quad-Spell four cards, each spectator mentally spells his card and finds one of the other cards Spell-Binder (Vol. 3, No. 27) 523
Allan Slaight "1984" Card Trick story trick with spelling and selection Epoptica (Issue Yearbook) 280
Stewart James Doublethink spelling trick with story line, works with Si Stebbins Epoptica (Issue Yearbook) 282
Roy Walton, Charles Hudson Triple Alliance based on Hudson's “Spelled Prophecy: 2“ Pabular (Vol. 8, No. 8) 1256
Philip T. Goldstein, Patrick Page Shuffled Speller cut-to card is spelled out in second deck and produces same card, ungaffed approach for Patrick Page's "Beyond the Veil" Inspired by Thequal 7
Peter Duffie Ghost Hunters Ace through Four of Diamonds appear one by one and their values are spelled to to find random cards, those cards are shown as four blanks and then change into the Ace through Four themselvesInspired by
  • "Chiefly Yourselves" (Roy Walton, Linking Ring Parade)
 Close-Up to the Point 1
Gerald Deutsch Colorful Spell card is spelled to, reversed itself, color changing backs kicker Best of Friends - Volume II 110
Frederick Braue Frank Squires Speller answers to questions about selection are spelt out, selection shows upInspired by The Fred Braue Notebooks (Issue 2) 20
Tom Bowyer Svengali Routine selection made, card divined, then it turns over, then appears at named number and at randomly spelled card, spectator stabs next to it The Fred Braue Notebooks (Issue 4) 28
Henry Christ Spell Detector small setupRelated to The Vernon Chronicles - Volume 2 235
Richard Vollmer Spell to setup?? Apocalypse Vol. 11-15 (Vol. 13, No. 3) 1759
Richard Vollmer Spell to, two setup?? Apocalypse Vol. 11-15 (Vol. 13, No. 3) 1759
Richard Vollmer Tell-Tale Deck card selected, features of it (color, suit) are spelled to, setup?? Apocalypse Vol. 11-15 (Vol. 13, No. 12) 1870
Doug Canning Midnight Speller challenge, setup?? Apocalypse Vol. 11-15 (Vol. 15, No. 10) 2127
Karl Fulves A Martian Chronicle Deceptive Practices 75
Bob King Under Your Spell spectator cuts to any card and loses it, performer spells to it underneath handkerchief and it shows up at last letter The Breather 19
Gavin Ross Self Portrait business card appears in deck, name on it spelled to locate selection, selection also predicted on back of business cardVariations Profile (Issue 8) 4
Doug Canning UNCANNY deck in pocket and one card after the other is removed, spectator mentally spells his card and last letter matches selection Semi-Automatic Card Tricks 132
Karl Fulves Birthday Value - Birthday Suit spectator spells birth month from one packet and birth day from another, suit and value are used to arrive at a card which is predictedRelated toVariations Rigmarole (Issue 3) 27
Dave Campbell Auto-Matic Speller three cards cut into packets and spelled to, banks of cards with the same number of lettersAlso published here Profile (Issue 14) 2
Peter Duffie Card Count-Down card thought-of from twelve-card packet, suit spelled, pairs dealt, value counted down in rest of the deck to find mate Profile (Issue 16) 6
Doug Edwards Spell Motivator Royal Flush Finale Apocalypse Vol. 16-20 (Vol. 17, No. 5) 2361
Alex Elmsley Paraspell two cards, faro-version of Stewart James' "Evolution of a Dream" The Collected Works of Alex Elmsley - Volume 2 353
Philip T. Goldstein Twice in Half two cards removed from half deck and spelled down, card there predictedRelated to Thabbatical 15
Philip T. Goldstein Half in Twice full-deck versionInspired by Thabbatical 18
Philip T. Goldstein Van John triggered by Tom Seller's "The Name Speller" (Immediate Magic) Thabbatical 99
Simon Aronson Quad-Mates Revisited four cards put in deck at four positions, next to mates, Gemini Twins with four cards and spelling of random wordsInspired by
  • "Quad-Mates" (Simon Aronson, MUM, May 1979)
Related to		 Simply Simon 73
Simon Aronson The Trained Deck selection cut into deck, three chosen cards added, selection at this position, repeated, then selected card is spelled by spectator in his head while performer deals, performer stops at selection, Multiple Card Sum Stack Simply Simon 123
Simon Aronson Spell Check three cards spelled to consecutively starting with random card, selection at end of last spell, declining letter spells Simply Simon 139
Simon Aronson Lazy Memory ideas for applying the memorized deck to the Lazy Man's Card Trick
- Memorized Doubly Lazy
- Spelling to the Second Selection
- "Sessions" Lazy Memory		Related to Simply Simon 162
Joel Givens Personalized Pasteboards name of spectator is spelled to find selection, two methodsRelated toVariations Semi-Automatic Card Tricks - Volume 2 16
Steve Beam Name that Trick made-up name is spelled to find selection, presentation for Personalized PasteboardsInspired by Semi-Automatic Card Tricks - Volume 2 19
Allan Slaight Sly Stebbins spelling color, number, mate always corresponding to the selectionVariations Semi-Automatic Card Tricks - Volume 2 46
Scott Robinson Sigh Stebbins spectator spells guesses about selection, with value of last card selection is found Semi-Automatic Card Tricks - Volume 2 49
Joe Rindfleisch, Jed B. Smith The Joe Blow School of Magic comedy presentation Apocalypse Vol. 16-20 (Vol. 19, No. 11) 2713
William Larsen, T. Page Wright A Novelty Spelling Mystery "A Larsen & Wright Gold Seal Mystery"
Further Than That precursor, 1940		Related toAlso published here
  • Page Wright's Manuscript, 1991, p. 223
  • Genii Bonus Number One, Genii, April 1940
 Underworld (Issue 4) 45
Jerry K. Hartman Feinting Spell Apocalypse Vol. 16-20 (Vol. 20, No. 1) 2743
Peter Duffie The Card of the Oracle Spelling to two cards Effortless Card Magic 116
Peter Duffie Spell-Raiser Card reversed in deck, spell the card to find selected card Effortless Card Magic 123
Nick Trost This Is Your Card - With a Punch Spelling location with five cards, produce four AcesInspired by
  • "This Is Your Card" (George Coon, Rufus Steele's 50 Tricks, 1946)
 The Card Magic of Nick Trost 154
Allan Slaight, Steve Beam Stebbin Up -spelling color, number, mate always corresponding to the selectionInspired byAlso published here The Trapdoor - Volume Three (Issue 66) 1332
Doug Edwards Houdini Casts A Spell Spell "Harry Houdini" a few times to divine selected card placed in pocket (suit then number) Doug Edwards Packs a Wallop! 25
Karl Fulves V-Real spectator cuts, card made up from suit of top and value of bottom card, spelling "virtual reality", card shown, it changes into made-up card (allusion to lie speller "Lie, Si")Related to Underworld (Issue 8) 112
Gavin Ross Straight Through The Heart indicator card chosen and number up to twelve thought-of, suit of indicator and number as value used to arrive at a card, indicator card spelled to and the card is foundInspired by Five Times Five — Scotland 89
Roy Walton Ghostly Spells sixteen-card packet mated via spelling famous magicians Five Times Five — Scotland 125
Joshua Jay Combined Interests Magicians performs a medley of his favourite tricks all in one trick (spell to selection, prediction, card to pocket (fail), four Ace production) Magic Atlas 70
Doug Conn Three Peace's - Peace spectator cuts deck into piles, top card of chosen pile is put in case, some answers are spelled and another card chosen, the cards give color, suit and value of card in case Tricks of my Trade 153
Unknown Spelling Stunner spectator cuts and spells his first name to selected card Mastering the Art of Magic 146
Chas. Shepperd The Magic Spell early spelling trickAlso published here
  • The Sphinx, March 1908
 Latter Day Secrets (Issue 3) 66
Steve Beam The Macho Magician Versus Wussy Gambler matching value and suit are spelled of selection, then four Aces are found as a kicker by spelling Semi-Automatic Card Tricks - Volume 3 46
Allan Slaight, Steve Beam Stebbin Out spelling color, number, mate always corresponding to the selectionInspired byAlso published here Semi-Automatic Card Tricks - Volume 3 140
Simon Aronson Breathing Spell Spelling four other cards to find two selections Try the Impossible 161
Simon Aronson Take Two Double spelling effect Try the Impossible 254
Simon Aronson 52 Pickup Full deck spelling sequence Try the Impossible 263
Simon Aronson Queenspell Spell the red Queens' names to find two selectionsVariations Try the Impossible 12
Simon Aronson Alternative Spellings Alternative spellings for QueenspellInspired by Try the Impossible 16
Simon Aronson Face Up Queenspell Variation on Queenspell with Queens reversedInspired by Try the Impossible 17
Simon Aronson Aces Awry (Producing the Aces) Tries to spell suit of selection, but wrong 3 times - finally gets the value (Ace), and produces all four AcesVariations Try the Impossible 198
Mel Bennett The Honeymooners Queens mates by spelling names from deck Latter Day Secrets (Issue 5) 135
Simon Aronson Four on a Match (Producing the Fours) Finds selection (a Four) through spelling, then finds all FoursRelated toVariations Try the Impossible 209
Simon Aronson The Mind Reading Deck, Part 6 (Producing the Sixes) Find selection by spelling, produce all the Sixes as a climax Try the Impossible 217
Simon Aronson The Mind Reading Deck, Part 9 (Producing the Nines) Find selection by spelling, produce all the Sixes as a climaxVariations Try the Impossible 220
Simon Aronson Mirror Nines Variation of Mine Reading Deck Part 9, with reverse Aronson stackInspired by Try the Impossible 221
Simon Aronson Direct to the Nines Extra idea to find Nines in fast wayInspired by Try the Impossible 222
Simon Aronson Two by Four (Producing the Twos) Spell to three Twos, final Two produced with flourishVariations Try the Impossible 226
Simon Aronson Spelling All Four Twos Inspired by Try the Impossible 229
Joshua Jay Joshing With The Threes Finds selection by spelling, then produces all the Threes as climax Try the Impossible 236
Simon Aronson Sequence Spell Deck Switch Try the Impossible 263
Simon Aronson Threespell (using the UnDo Influence Control) Queenspell with Threes in AronsonInspired by Try the Impossible 257
Karl Fulves Fate in Numbers No. 30, numbers rolled by dice spelled out, corresponding values are revealed New Self-Working Card Tricks 46
Karl Fulves Could You Spell That? spelling ideas from Si Stebbins stack
- Si Spell
- Die Spell
- Sly Spell
- Lie Spell		Inspired by Latter Day Secrets (Issue 7) 260
Dave Campbell Automatic Speller three cards cut into packets and spelled to, banks of cards with the same number of lettersAlso published here The Dave Campbell Legacy 63
Harry Riser One Way to Spell Also published here
  • MUM, March 2000
 Secrets of an Escamoteur 68
Harry Riser Spelling Penelope penelope, faroAlso published here
  • MUM, Aug. 1995
 Secrets of an Escamoteur 137
Karl Fulves Holding Pattern three eight-card piles, spelling some phrases, red Aces show upRelated to Prolix (Issue 4) 218
William Larsen, T. Page Wright A Novelty Spelling Mystery Further Than That precursorAlso published here
  • Genii Bonus Number One, Genii, April 1940
 Prolix (Issue 5) 294
Ken Krenzel Spell of the Spectator no-touch, memorized deck, spectator spells down and finds named card Relaxed Impossibilities 195
Paul Martin Recycling Si spelling principle in Si Stebbins Semi-Automatic Card Tricks - Volume 8 169
Karl Fulves Jinx Extra spelling to find four-of-a-kindInspired by
  • "Quickie Set Up Effect" (Theodore Annemann)
 Prolix (Issue 7) 452
Michael Weber Under My Spell small packetInspired by
  • "Fruitrick" (Phil Goldstein)
 Knew & Improved 6
Steve Beam Dropping the Bluff Random cards are spelled, arriving at the selected card. Semi-Automatic Card Tricks - Volume 9 170
Max Maven Composite Speller Deck is cut and half given to each of two spectators. Each thinks of a card in their half. The value of one card is combined with the suit of the other. The deck is reassembled and the composite card spelled. It turns up at the final letter.Related to
  • "Premonition in Reverse" (Tony Griffith, Semi-Automatic Card Tricks, Vol. 6, 2006)
  • "Joint Banking" (Doug Canning, Semi-Automatic Card Tricks, Vol. 6, 2006)
 Semi-Automatic Card Tricks - Volume 10 155
Steve Beam Fabrication The magician uses the spectator's name and some cards determined by her name to arrive at a card the magician earlier (and openly) predicted.Related to Semi-Automatic Card Tricks - Volume 9 78
Steve Beam Pat Hand The magician uses the spectator's name and some cards determined by his name to arrive at a royal flush.Related to Semi-Automatic Card Tricks - Volume 9 81
So Sato The Professor Still Fools Us card "named" by spectator, Dai Vernon's named used to spell to it The Secrets of So Sato 76
Pepe Lirrojo P.A.D.O.I. two deck routine, open prediction, two cards spelled two, deck in order and selection vanishes Panpharos 41
Bob Farmer Another Psychological Discovery card thought of and card selected, thought-of card is used to spell to selectionInspired by The Bammo Gaffus Maximus 3
Robert Ramirez Casting the Spell No. 1, performer and spectator each select a card, one spells to the other Unexpected Impuzzibilities 3
Harapan Ong Count or Spell random values are counted or spelled to as the spectator wishes, leads to four Aces Principia 234
David Solomon Perfect Spelling card chosen from a list of playing cards is spelled to, progressive spelling set-up Solomon's Secrets 113
Harapan Ong Bits and Pieces Smaller features of A Stack to Forget, including a small sandwich trick, spelling bank etc.Related to A Stack to Forget 27
Harapan Ong Old School, New School Spelling to divine the first card's suit and value, then find all the mates to the second selection A Stack to Forget 72