The Magic Book

A Conjurer's Collection of Dazzling Effects for Parlor and Platform

Book
1977
Written by Karl Fulves*
Work of Karl Fulves*
195 pages (Paperback), published by Little, Brown and Company
Illustrated with drawings by Joseph K. Schmidt
Language: English
116 entries
Cover photograph
Creators Title Comments & References Page AA Categories
Karl Fulves* Preface
ix
Karl Fulves* Acknowledgments
xi
Karl Fulves* 1 - The Art of the Impossible
1
Karl Fulves* Magic and Its Professors
7
Karl Fulves* 2 - The Hand Is Smarter than the Eye on the methods of magic tricks
 		19
Karl Fulves* Invisible Information on the methods of magic tricks
 		22
Karl Fulves* Testing the Power of Misdirection empty packet of matches is waved over hand, a full one appears
 		23
John Benzais Super Transpo penny and dime tranpose, one held by spectator, secret use of nickel
Also published here
Related to
Variations
 25
Karl Fulves* Routined Magic match puzzle, then coin penetrates upwards through table into match box, example for routining two things
 		27
Karl Fulves* The Gambler's Palm seven blank cards, two signed, cards put in both palms apparently equally, then signed cards are in one hand and other five in the other, thieves and sheep
 		30
Karl Fulves* Telepathy for Two five ESP symbols on paper pieces, one chosen and wrapped in aluminum foil, medium divines it, code by position under which a slip is passed under the door
 		34
Karl Fulves* Numerology performer and spectator choose a digit from serial of a bill, after some calculation the spectator has a two-digit number with both those digits
 		36
Karl Fulves* Concluding Observations
38
Karl Fulves* 3 - Closeup Magic
41
Karl Fulves* Banded Together
Inspired by
 44
Karl Fulves* Bounce Band rubber band apparently penetrates fingers
 		45
Karl Fulves* Mass Hypnosis rubber band apparently penetrates fingers
 		46
Bill Bowman Flying Clipper clipped, two paperclips on folded bill link
Also published here
Related to
Variations
 47
Karl Fulves* Banked Roll two bills, one on top of the other, rolled up and unrolled, they changed positions
 		47
Don Nielsen Passing the Buck two bills folded into strips, they are knotted together and penetrate
Inspired by
 48
Karl Fulves* Not a Knot simple false knot
 		49
Karl Fulves*, Joseph H. Fries, Elmer Applegit Subtract a Knot knot vanishes from rope
 		50
G. W. Hunter Hunter's Impossible Knot without letting go of the ends
 		50
All in a Row six glasses, three filled, they have to be alternated by switching adjacent glasses, puzzle
Also published here
 51
Three Tumblers do as I do with three glasses that have to be turned up and down
 		52
Karl Fulves* Spirit Music glass hangs on string from pencil, music comes out of glass
 		53
Drop Out three dice held between two fingers, dropping only the center one
Also published here
 54
Karl Fulves* Jumping Dice two dice between two fingers apparently change places
 		55
Balancing Act three dice balanced in apparently impossible way
 		56
Karl Fulves* Mental Dice bet about rolling a six and an eight before two sevens with two dice, probability bet
 		56
Karl Fulves* The Probable Outcome three dice rolled, performer divines sum
 		57
Karl Fulves* Concluding Notes on Close-up magic
 		58
Karl Fulves* 4 - Card Magic
61
Karl Fulves* Easy as A-B-C two spectators recite the alphabet to locate a selection
Related to
 63
Karl Fulves*, Al Baker The Yogi Knows card and its position remembered, spelling a phrase to locate it
 		65
Karl Fulves* A Rare Find two cards removed, one remembered, both put wide apart in deck, performer stabs another card next to the selection, miscalling
Variations
 66
Audley Walsh Fan Bluff Spacing cards inserted close together seem to be widely separated
 		67
Karl Fulves* Fourcast from twelve-card packet spectator choses two cards which are mated and form a four-of-a-kind
Also published here
Variations
 68
Bill Taylor The Game of 7-16 down-under deal, spectator's and performer's remaining cards predicted, game presentation
Also published here
Inspired by
  • 7-16 (Alex Elmsley, Ibidem, 1958)
    • also in: 7-16 (The Collected Works of Alex Elmsley — Volume 1, 1991)
Variations
 69
Roy Walton* Color Flite a card from red and blue deck are chosen, jokers pushed in deck of other color, they're supposed to be next to selections, but change in actual selections
Also published here
Inspired by
 70
Karl Fulves* The Haunted Card chosen card rises out of deck which is held inside a handkerchief
Inspired by
 72
Karl Fulves* Flash Aces spectator shuffles deck an snaps rubber band around it, four Aces jump out
Inspired by
Variations
 74
Karl Fulves* Pocket Addition as something is removed from pocket
 		75
Karl Fulves*, J. W. Sarles The Miracle Discovery spectator pulls packet out of center, shuffles it and remembers top card, then re-inserts it, card located
 		77
Karl Fulves* Concluding Observations on card tricks
 		79
Karl Fulves* 5 - Coin Magic
81
Karl Fulves* Change in Mind "as many pennies as you have, plus three more, plus enough left over...", trick that fooled Einstein with coins
Related to
Variations
 83
Karl Fulves* Heads or Tails coins on table, spectator can turn several coins over and covers one, performer divines if head or tails is up
Inspired by
Related to
 84
Karl Fulves* Invisible Pockets two coins pressed to shirt with both hands, coin travels across, then coin vanishes ("playing the shirt", coin tossed into shirt)
Related to
 85
Karl Fulves* Coin Stabbing coin vanished by stabbing knife through folded paper
 		87
Martin Gardner* Turnabout coin layout puzzle
Also published here
Related to
Variations
 88
Karl Fulves* The 32¢ Trick two glasses, penny, dime and nickel in each glass, a penny penetrates one glass and drops in other glass, repeat
Inspired by
 89
Karl Fulves* Money Mental three coin values written on paper strip which is torn in three pieces, coins wrapped in paper pieces, performer divines which coin is in which paper
 		91
Karl Fulves* A Coin Swindle marked coin through trouser into pocket, fake pick-up from handful of coin
 		93
Karl Fulves* Double Express marked coin in inside jacket pocket (dropped into sleeve) transposes with another coin in spectator's hand
 		94
James F. Herpick Ghost Coin two small glasses mouth-to-mouth, coin through whisky glass
Also published here
 95
The Nine Mystery coins placed in a Q shape, spectator counts clockwise and anticlockwise, predict the endpoint of the count
Also published here
Variations
 96
Karl Fulves* Coins and a Ring coins and finger ring on fists, apparently one dropped from each hand, traveling effect
 		97
Karl Fulves* A Flourish and a Trick one-handed, three coin stack, middle coin spun out and rotated, effect where it is done under cover of a handkerchief and a sympathetic effect happens when center coin in another three-coin stack is turned over
Inspired by
 99
Karl Fulves* 6 - Rope Magic
101
J. W. Sarles Sawing through a Rope ring tied from handkerchief, rope tied onto it, release
 		104
Karl Fulves* Double-Cut Mystery rope cut in two places
 		105
Cheating the Hangman rope through neck
 		106
Karl Fulves* Single-Cut Rope
107
Impromptu Needle-Threading
108
Sam Schwartz Ring Flite
Also published here
 109
Karl Fulves*, J. W. Sarles Lefty
111
A. Kojima Lightning Link
Also published here
Related to
Variations
 112
Karl Fulves* Lightning Unlink
Also published here
Inspired by
 113
Karl Fulves*, Milbourne Christopher* Knot Possible three phases (first phase by Milbourne Christopher, other two by Fulves), knot routine with loop of ring, ring appears without letting go of the sides of the loop, knot comes off at the end
 		114
Tony Slydini The Gambler's Knot performer demonstrates knot in slow-motion, spectator cannot duplicate it
Also published here
Related to
 117
Karl Fulves* 7 - Mental Magic
121
Karl Fulves* How to Spot Fraudulent Psychics
125
Karl Fulves* Sixes and Sevens dime and penny, spectator puts one in each hand, involving calculation
 		126
Fred DeMuth Match Mentalism number of remaining matches divined
Also published here
Related to
Variations
 127
Karl Fulves* Lines of Force pencil moves towards drawn magnet on paper, blowing
 		128
Karl Fulves* The Lock Mystery three keys and one lock, keys in envelopes, performer divines which envelope contains the fitting key
 		129
Karl Fulves* Oracle spectator cuts of packet, reverse faro down to one, remaining card predicted
Also published here
Related to
Variations
 130
Sam Schwartz Thought Echo two card location, straight set-up
Also published here
Related to
Variations
 131
Karl Fulves* Living and Dead Test based on torn edges of paper
 		133
Karl Fulves* Two-Person Telepathy a medium finds both cards
Inspired by
 134
Karl Fulves* The Parity Principle four objects used
Inspired by
 135
Karl Fulves*, Richard Himber How to Predict the Super Bowl two-way out prediction
Related to
 137
Karl Fulves* 8 - Comedy Magic
141
John Murray Nothing "NOTHING" sign up the sleeve
 		144
Karl Fulves* Blackmailing the Enemy spectator balances coin on nose and must make it fall, then coin pressed on spectator's forehead, heckler stopper, picture snapped with camera
Related to
 144
Karl Fulves* The $30 TV Set gag message appears on blank card
 		145
Karl Fulves* Comedy Coke in the Hat paper cup in hat, liquid poured in, apparently goes wrong
 		146
Don Nielsen A Big Card card selected, deck in paper bag, jumbo card of selection removed, rest of deck vanishes
Also published here
Inspired by
Variations
 148
Sid Lorraine Words, Words, Words word STARLING on slate, one letter erased at a time to form a new word, gag patter
Inspired by
  • Rupert Slater item, The Magic Wand
 150
Karl Fulves* The IQ Test questions taken out of hat, credit to Lu Brent
 		152
Bill Elliott The "Oh" Puzzle layout puzzle, pieces have to be arranged in square
Also published here
 156
Karl Fulves* 9 - Gambling Secrets
159
Karl Fulves* Ace-Deuce-Jack proposition bet, Ace, Two or Jack has to appear at the bottom of any of three piles
Related to
 163
Allan Slaight Build Down progressive poker deal with ten card poker deal finale
Also published here
Inspired by
Variations
 164
Karl Fulves* The Ten-Card Deal
165
Karl Fulves* A Dice Proposition
Also published here
 166
Stewart Judah Decoy Dice six cards used, two dice rolled and selection made via counting
Also published here
Inspired by
Variations
 167
Martin Gardner* The Red-Black Swindle two red and two black cards under table, one brought out, proposition bet about the next card matching
 		168
Karl Fulves*, Martin Gardner* How to Cut the Aces spectator cuts deck into four piles on a tray, topological swindle in which tray is turned around so that it looks like the cards come from all four piles instead of just two
 		168
Karl Fulves* More Proposition Bets
  • five random cards, two have the same suit
  • three random cards, one is a picture card
  • "Three-Card Poker"
Related to
 171
Dai Vernon Repeat Poker Deal same set-up dealt over and over for two players
Also published here
Related to
Variations
 173
Karl Fulves* According to Hoyle stud poker, after each card is dealt, the performer's face-up card are exchanged with one of the other player's, performer still wins
Also published here
Related to
Variations
 173
Joseph K. Schmidt How to Deal a Royal Flush one card is controlled during the repeat-dealing of five poker-hand and appears in a Royal Flush
Also published here
Inspired by
  • "Subconscious Poker" (The Sphinx, Vol. 38 No. 2, April 1939, p. 37)
Related to
Variations
 175
Karl Fulves* Concluding Notes on gambling magic
 		177
Karl Fulves* 10 - Ultimate Impossibilities
179
Karl Fulves* de Kolta's Inventions
183
Karl Fulves* Egyptian Hall Mysteries
183
Karl Fulves* Howard Thurston
185
Karl Fulves* The Bullet Catch
185
Karl Fulves* Selbit's Mile a Minute on P. T. Selbit's inventions
 		187
Karl Fulves* Le Roy and De Biere
188
Karl Fulves* Horace Goldin
188
Karl Fulves* Maurice Raymond
190
Karl Fulves* Harry Houdini
190
Karl Fulves* John Scarne recounting of effect "Card through Window"
 		194
Data entered by Denis Behr, May 2020.