Trick That Cannot Be Explained

56 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 Cut the Cards 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 Watch This One! 36
Audley Walsh Improvisation card signed on back, improvisation to find it from the face
Related toVariations 1949 52 Amazing Card Tricks 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 The Last Word on Cards 44
Mike Kanter A Location Supreme same impro procedure used to find a selection
Inspired by 1952 The Last Word on Cards 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 Fifteen Star Card Effects 9
Dai Vernon The Trick that cannot be explained
Related toVariations 1960 More Inner Secrets of Card Magic 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 Close-up Card Magic 130
Edward Marlo Unexpected Prediction
Related toVariationsAlso published here 1968 Expert Card Conjuring 88
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 The Pallbearers Review Vol. 9-10 (Vol. 9 No. 4) 708
Faucett Ross The Problem Anecdote about The Trick That Cannot Be Explained in a letter to Charlie Miller
 		1975 Magic With Faucett Ross 218
Roger Smith The Ultimate Trick That Cannot Be Explained strategies and handlings for the trick
Inspired by 1977 The Ultimate Card Book No. 2 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 Jack's Pack 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 Close Up Magic To Tapdance To 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 The Collected Works of Alex Elmsley — Volume 2 433
Michael Close Jazzin - The Trick that Can be Explained finding a named card via improvisation
Related to 1996 Workers Number 5 160
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 Mouse Magic 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 Solomon's Mind 87
Justin Higham The Variation That Can Be Explained
Related to 1999 Collected Card Notes 67
Paul Chosse Triple Header spectator removes any three random cards, they are used to "calculate" name of selection with pseudo rules
Inspired by 2004 Weapons of Mass Destruction 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 Mnemonica 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 Mnemonica 135
Juan Tamariz Mnemonicosis with a Half Stack with a thought of card and a selected card
 		2004 Mnemonica 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 Tangled Web 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 Designing Miracles 103
Dr. Stanley Jaks Jaks Trick that Cannot Be Explained unknown card marked on back, spectator choses it from the face, TTTCBE
 		2006 Designing Miracles 107
Lu Brent A Prediction Supreme TTTCBE
Also published here 2006 Designing Miracles 108
Darwin Ortiz The Trick that Takes Forever to Explain TTTCBE
Inspired by 2006 Designing Miracles 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 The Essential Stewart James 24
Jörg Alexander Weber Face-Up Spread Force tabled, in steps, "trick that cannot be explained"
 		2008 ZauberKunstStücke — Band 2 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 Solomon's Notes 1
Justin Higham The Trick That Cannot Be Explained chapter 8
Related to 2010 Secrets of Improvisational Magic 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 Confidences 251
Justin Higham The Previous Effect How to lead into The 75% Production

  • Basic Procedure
  • End Notes
  • Spread-Cutting
Related to 2014 The 75% Production and The Trick With No Method 9
Harry Lorayne Calculated Risk "trick that cannot be explained"
Inspired by 2015 JawDroppers! 181
Paul Vigil Using Equivoque in "The Trick That Cannot Be Explained" strategy to get down to five cards
Inspired byRelated to 2017 The Doors of Deception 162
Charlie Miller, Johnny Thompson The Trick that Cannot be Explained
Inspired by 2018 The Magic of Johnny Thompson (Issue 1) 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 Principia 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 Principia 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 Principia 216
Harapan Ong Thoughts on "The Trick That Cannot Be Explained" I: Introduction
II: Favorite "Licks"
Inspired by 2018 Principia 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 Enthusiasm 43
Roberto Giobbi The Trick That Can Be Explained sure fire
 		2021 Sharing Secrets 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 Freedom of Expression 125