64 entries in Cards / Effect Themes / Prediction / Trick That Cannot Be Explained
Creators Title Comments & References Year Source Page AA Categories
Joe Berg A Miracle - Maybe unknown card signed on back, deck spread face up on table and spectator finds card, either directly or via improvisation
Related to 1942 22
J. B. Bobo Bobo Locatrix card selected with seemingly fair cutting procedure, key card, location via "Trick that Cannot be Explained" type procedure
1947 36
Audley Walsh Improvisation card signed on back, improvisation to find it from the face
Related toVariations 1949 50
Lu Brent A Prediction Supreme face-up card placed in face-down spread, used to count/spell to random card, which is predicted, The Trick That Cannot Be Explained
VariationsAlso published here 1952 44
Mike Kanter A Location Supreme same impro procedure used to find a selection
Inspired by 1952 45
Lu Brent A Prediction Supreme face-up card placed in face-down spread, used to count/spell to random card, which is predicted, The Trick That Cannot Be Explained
Related toVariationsAlso published here 1956 9
Dai Vernon The Trick That Cannot be Explained
Related toVariations 1960 76
Dai Vernon, Harry Lorayne Calculated Risk variant of "The Trick That Cannot Be Explained" in which a named card is found
Inspired byVariations 1962 130
Edward Marlo Unexpected Prediction
Related toVariationsAlso published here 1968 88
Milton Kort Off Color Prediction card chosen (cannot be explained like), it is predicted on a piece of paper, paper changes color, then back of card as well
1970 49
Charles Hopkins Hopkin's Spread Prediction (a la Vernon) No. 405, very short description of The Trick That Cannot Be Explained
1972 110
E. Leslie May Asulikeit a set of ESP cards is used to reveal chosen symbol, "trick that cannot be explained", multiple out, see also p. 758 for comment by Marvin Johnson
Feb. 1974 708
Faucett Ross The Problem Anecdote about The Trick That Cannot Be Explained in a letter to Charlie Miller
1975 218
Roger Smith The Ultimate Trick That Cannot Be Explained strategies and handlings for the trick
Inspired by 1977 2
Jack Yates Effect mnemonicosis type effect, card is named and located by various means, "In a way, it becomes rather like Dai Vernon's 'Trick that cannot be explained'"
1978 2
Mark Weston Spectator Unexplained (After Vernon) ideas
Inspired by Dec. 1979
Pabular (Vol. 5 No. 12)
770
Dr. Stanley Jaks Die angekreuzte Karte unknown card marked on back, spectator choses it from the face, TTTCBE
Dec. 1981
Intermagic (Vol. 8 No. 4)
135
Simon Lovell Jazz Magic Some outs and ideas for improvisational magic to locate "freely named" card
Related to 1989 119
Toni Forster Totale Freiheit
June 1993
Intermagic (Vol. 18 No. 1)
27
Alex Elmsley Fate's Datebook part of "The Dazzle Act" (starting on page 425 until the end of the book), using a improvisational type of selection procedure
Related toVariations 1994 433
Michael Close Jazzin - The Trick that Can be Explained finding a named card via improvisation
Related to 1996 160
Edward Marlo Uncontrolled Prediction
Related to 1996
Facsimile (Issue 4)
6
Alex Elmsley Inexplicable with computer program, programmed version of Vernon's "Trick that cannot be explained"
Inspired by 1996 33
David Solomon Business Card Prediction prediction printed on business card, "trick that cannot be explained" type procedure for the force
Also published here 1997 87
Justin Higham The Variation That Can Be Explained
Related to 1999 67
Mark Levy The Trick that Can Be Explained all card eliminated except one which matches prediction
July 1999
Magic (Vol. 8 No. 11)
76
Paul Chosse Triple Header spectator removes any three random cards, they are used to "calculate" name of selection with pseudo rules
Inspired by 2004 64
Juan Tamariz Mnemonicosis (Tamariz on Ideas by Marlo and Vernon) finding named card via improvisation
  • A. Mnemonicosis
  • B. Card Control
  • C. Mnemonicosis over the Phone
Inspired byRelated to 2004 97
Juan Tamariz A Star is Born spectator locates named card, bunch of cards selected and divided into two piles, one eliminated, other pile cut and selection is found
2004 135
Juan Tamariz Mnemonicosis with a Half Stack with a thought of card and a selected card
2004 242
Eric Mead Jazz Chart & Favorite Licks strategies
  • Opening Gambits
  • Cheating
  • A Favorite Lick
  • Formula Lick
  • Superior Lick
  • Quick Lick
  • Last Dance
  • Tips and Tools
Inspired by 2006 123
Darwin Ortiz Chapter Six: Conceptual Distance
  • Physical Barriers
    • The Hole Container
  • Information Barriers
    • Case Study: The Trick That Can't Be Explained
    • Information Barriers and Conservation
    • Creating Information Barriers
    • Case Study: Note Under Cup
  • The Veils Principle
  • Barriers of False Explanations
  • Eliminate Suspicion Before It Forms
2006 103
Dr. Stanley Jaks Jaks Trick that Cannot Be Explained unknown card marked on back, spectator choses it from the face, TTTCBE
2006 107
Lu Brent A Prediction Supreme TTTCBE
Also published here 2006 108
Darwin Ortiz The Trick that Takes Forever to Explain TTTCBE
Inspired by 2006 108
Jon Racherbaumer Spontaneous Bob Cunning The Artful Ledger
on improvisational magic, Chan Canasta, TTTCBE
  • Sidebar (About Retrograde Analysis)
  • Sidebar #2: Spontaneous Resourcefulness
Related to Feb. 2006
Antinomy (Vol. 2 No. 1)
5
Jon Racherbaumer On Vernon's "The Trick That Cannot Be Explained"
Related to Feb. 2006
Antinomy (Vol. 2 No. 1)
10
Edward Marlo Unexpected Prediction
Also published here Feb. 2006
Antinomy (Vol. 2 No. 1)
11
Stewart James Face-Up Prediction Similar to The Trick That Cannot Be Explained
2007 24
Jörg Alexander Weber Face-Up Spread Force tabled, in steps, "trick that cannot be explained"
2008 38
Jon Racherbaumer The Trick That Can Be Explained The Artful Ledger
"Preliminary Notes Regarding Contingency, Opportunism and Preparedness"
Related to Oct. 2008
Antinomy (Vol. 4 No. 2)
5
Jon Racherbaumer Marlo's Ghostly Prediction Seven of Diamonds prediction on cover of "Marlo Without Tears"
Inspired by Oct. 2008
Antinomy (Vol. 4 No. 2)
9
Mark Levy Leveraged Prediction two halves made, performer removes a mate from one half that matches an eventual selection from the other half
Oct. 2008
Antinomy (Vol. 4 No. 2)
12
David Solomon Business Card Prediction prediction printed on business card, "trick that cannot be explained" type procedure for the force
Also published here 2009 1
Justin Higham The Trick That Cannot Be Explained chapter 8
Related to 2010 62
David Britland The Trick That Cannot Be Explained
  • Cardopolis
top card is predicted after a spectator's shuffle
Feb. 2011
Genii (Vol. 74 No. 2)
36
David Britland The Trick That Can Be Explained Will de Sieve card
Inspired by
  • "Kismet Connection" (Ted Lesley, Para Miracles)
Feb. 2011
Genii (Vol. 74 No. 2)
36
Roberto Giobbi, Dai Vernon The Trick That Andy Warhol Could Have Explained
Inspired by 2012 251
Justin Higham The Previous Effect how to lead into The 75% Production
  • Basic Procedure
  • End Notes
  • Spread-Cutting
Related to 2014 9
Harry Lorayne Calculated Risk "trick that cannot be explained"
Inspired by 2015 181
Paul Vigil Using Equivoque in "The Trick That Cannot Be Explained" strategy to get down to five cards
Inspired byRelated to 2017 162
Charlie Miller, Johnny Thompson The Trick that Cannot be Explained
Inspired by 2018 271
Harapan Ong Direct Ambigrams "The Law of Non-Conservation of Card Magic & Tawanokomu"
two ambigram revelations from a formula and Japanese characters, "trick that cannot be explained" application
2018 183
Harapan Ong On the Fundamental Structure of Routines I: Linear structures
II: Branching structures
  • Equivoque
  • Multiple Outs
III: The Trick That Cannot Be Explained
IV: Conclusion
V: References
2018 211
Harapan Ong On Apophenia and Coincidence Effects I: An anecdote (impossible vs. improbable)
II: Infusing Intention
III: Connecting random dots
IV: Another anecdote ( "trick that cannot be explained")
V: References
2018 216
Harapan Ong Thoughts on "The Trick That Cannot Be Explained" I: Introduction
II: Favorite "Licks"
Inspired by 2018 229
Xiaobo Zhou 降落伞/JLS 找牌系统 (Parachute Card Location) JLS: Jazz Location System. Describes a system used to locate cards and perform The Trick That Cannot Be Explained
  • 1. Dead Cut to the Selection
  • 2. Name the Position of the Selection
  • 3. Impromptu 1-20 ACAAN
2018 43
Roberto Giobbi The Trick That Can Be Explained sure fire
2021 109
Dani DaOrtiz Impromptu mnemonicosis spectator thinks of card in deck, deck is shuffled, another spectator names a number and card is arrived at
2021 125
Eugene Burger The Trick That Cannot Be Explained Burger's handling, card chosen and mate is found in card case
  • Introduction
  • Stage One. Discussion Points and Variables
  • Stage Two: Discussion Points and Variables
  • Stage Three: Discussion Points
  • Interview, January 2011
  • Eugene's Failure Out, Repeat Variations, and Building a Set
2021 291
Geoffrey Williams The Trick That Vernon Tried To Explain To Me For A Quarter coin with arrow on it used, together with some improvised counting, to find selection or named prediction
June 2022
Elixir (Vol. 3 No. Florida Issue Part Two)
75
Elisav "Biz" Bizau The A.C.A.A.N. Game improvisation game challenge
Mar. 2023
The Hermit (Vol. 2 No. 3)
680
Justin Higham The Trick That Can Be Explained Again
Related to 2023 31
Anson Chen The Trick That Can Be Explained Again (Note)
Related to 2023 5