Phenomenal Magic Trick. Anyone Know How He Did It?

"You seem to be semi-idolizing this DB dude"

Kind of common for this forum. I don't know how many threads I read over the years here where people went on and on about DB and other NLP "experts". The Secret was also big at this forum.

When I first was watching the trick, I thought the design in the cards was suggesting a specific card. The problem with that, is that it isn't 100% dependable. Had he not asked Cowell to pick any card, I would have guessed that it was manipulating the answers. But I've studied that, and didn't see it anywhere. I also considered that they edited the show to make the trick look more dramatic (magician specials are notorious for that). But that would have killed the show, had it been found out.

For a moment, I considered that Cowell was in on the trick. But it's too easy for that to blow up in his face if anyone found out.

I knew it had to be mechanical in the cards, to guarantee it would always work. This guy only had one shot. I considered that the angle you saw the cards in may have been important, because it was shown on the screen....but the magician couldn't guarantee the angle of the camera.

And....one of the judges could have touched the cards....so.....the card switch had to be done, after the card was chosen, and palming 50 cards, and rifling through them, without giving it away, would have been too clumsy.

He had some verbiage before the reveal, I assumed to take up time.....

What I don't know, is how the cards were grouped on his body, to make any card easy to access. I also thought that maybe the card was really just the other side of one of the regular cards, and could be manipulated by memorizing the order of the cards, and slipping the right card in the back of the deck. And it's still possible that's how it was done. But that would be risky, if someone touched the deck, and looked at the other side of the cards.

Had the camera always been on the magician, I think I could have seen the switch of cards. Or seen the edit of the tape to cover the trick.

But...most likely, the guy had one of every possible card on him, and just palmed the right one, right at the end.


or...magic is real, and my whole reality has just been shattered.

Strangely, I have no real idea how the first part of the act was done (flipping bills back and forth). A magician friend once actually showed me how to do that, and I've simply forgotten.


I'll bet we could find that on Youtube. It's a common manipulation.


Tim; I really am familiar with many magic tricks, and was a fair amateur magician in my youth. I think I know how it was done, as I posted here. If I'm wrong, let me know. I'd also like to buy the trick, if you have any left, or know where I can get it. PM me, if you like.

Thanks, Buckaroo.

This is what amuses me.

There's no "transluscent window" in the cards.
And what you (D. Brown) claims happened in that Darren Brown video you posted, is not what happened at all. No "subtle psychological manipulation" happened at all.
That's Darren Brown's "schtick." He twists basic magic tricks around so they seem to portray him "subtly influencing people" through psychology.

To well posted magicians, that is clearly not what has happened in that video (or any other of Darrn Brown's performances).

In short, you too have "fallen for" his particular version of BS.
So much so, that you are spouting it here, as truth.

-- TW

That trick is an amazing BRILLIANT GENIUS invention!
It's just that that particular *dealer* that you mentioned, is not well thought of in the magic world because of their (ahem) biz practices. Nuff said.

-- TW

You are looking at the wrong "consensus." This is what gets James Randi so upset. When some new "psychic" steps forward, and he is "tested" by a bunch of egghead "experts" on ESP, they always forget to include well posted MAGICIANS on the judging panel. If you want to analyze something that could involve magician's methods, you MUST include people who know what they're talking about! In cases like this, people like you (and the panel on this "talent" show in the OPs video, AND many of the people in your "consensus"), DON'T KNOW WHAT THE *HELL* THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT! They (and, unfortunately you) are operating from a COLOSSAL CAVERN OF IGNORANCE.

Add to that the fact that they do not know what they do not know, and you got some heavily INACCURATE conclusions! (ie: concluding something is real, WHEN IT IS NOT!)

Now, let's look at DB -- he is NOT claiming to be psychic. I see that. BUT... he *IS* claiming to have a special skill. That is the skill you are fawning over + saying is "a joy to behold."

I'm telling you that skill is NOT being displayed at all. I'm telling you his claims of "clever" mental manipulation, etc. are BOGUS.

How do I know this? Cuz I can see how he REALLY IS accomplishing these stunts, that's how.

Now for some details...

I never mentioned anything about stooges. Not needed in the case of the video you showed. That person in the video was genuinely just as fooled as you were. But the question is, fooled about WHAT?

The main thing you and he were fooled about was HOW the outcome was accomplished! (read that sentence 3x please -- it is essential to understand before proceeding)

The REAL answer is, absolutely no "mind manipulation," etc. was needed OR DONE. The video you showed is a straight on CONJURING TRICK (which you claim DB does NOT do), period. It's not just a conjuring trick, it's a conjuring trick that's on page THREE of any mentalism book out there. It's a BASIC conjuring trick at that!

Again, if you look at that video THINKING LIKE A MAGICIAN, it is quite obvious what is being done. The aspect you are falling for hook line and sinker (clever mental manipulation, etc.), is FALSE! FALSE, I say!

Here's a handy hint... Look at the HARD EVIDENCE offered to "prove" DB's claim of HOW this outcome was accomplished (shown at the end).

1) Write down on a piece of paper what DB claims has happened (his supposed method for bringing about this "amazing" outcome.

2) Write down on a piece of paper what that guest star THINKS happened, from HIS point of view, IF DB had not filled his head with BS. See, what the guest star THINKS happened *IS* what happened. -- Remember he is NOT a stooge. THAT is reality. That is the part of the scenario that CANNOT BE BENT!

Now that we know that. The spectator's reality *IS* reality, ALL OTHR INCOMING INFO must be WARPED and BENT to FIT THAT REALITY.

That's NOT what you are doing when you are "analyzing" the video. What you are doing is quite different (and actually kinda dangerous, really) -- You are taking DB's EXPLANATION of what is happeneing as the UNBENDABLE reality, then taking all OTHER evidence, and bending THAT to fit your assumed (but really FALSE) "reality!"

Here's why your method of "analyzing" what you are seeing in that video is *dangerous*...
The video shows 2 different people's account of what happened. The video is basically asking, which version do you believe? One person's account must be true, and (therefore) the other person's account must be false. DB is telling the spectator, "what you think happened, didn't really happen at all."
You see this video, and take what the "real" person is saying, and JUDGE that to be INCORRECT, while taking what the "newcomer" (DB) is CLAIMING, and giving THAT your "reality" stamp of approval. And you are doing it WILLINGLY, almost GLEEFULLY, on VERY FLIMSY ACTUAL HARD EVIDENCE.
In other worlds, I WOULD NOT WANNA HAVE SOMEONE LIKE YOU ON A COURTROOM JURY!! -- THAT would be dangerous!

*** Basically you are taking reality, and BENDING THAT to fit a suspect premise that you WANT to believe in. Your thinking SHOULD BE done the other way around! You need to take what *IS* rock-solid reality, THEN bend ALL ELSE, until it fits the UNBENDABLE reality. ***

WHY are you doing it the wrong way 'round? Because you are being FOOLED, that's why (aka: falling for bullcrap). And you DO NOT have the means (knowledge) to SEE how you are being fooled.

3) Now that you have written down what the spectator THINKS happened, FROM HIS POINT OF VIEW --- MINUS the bullcrap that was laid upon him (NOT talking "mind manipulation" etc. here -- I'm talking about the bullcrap EXPLANATION of HOW this was accomplished) -- WHERE IS THE HARD EVIDENCE that DBs version of how this was accomplished? In other words, where is the hard evidence that the spectator's version FROM HIS POINT OF VIEW is ***NOT*** true?

4) Now take the "hard evidence" that DB presents as "proof" of his CLAIM of "super subtle mind manipulation" method (it's really pretty flimsy -- I hope you can now see that) -- and see how you can BEND THAT to fit the REALITY of what the spectator's story is. Any magician will see that this is EASILY accomplished!

Let me put it as plainly as I can -- here is THE KEY...
What "evidence" do you have that DB "replaced" the spectator's original
wish?" THAT's the "evidence" you need to focus on -- that's the ONLY REAL "evidence" DB has,
to back up his CLAIM of "clever, super subtle mind manipulation!"

Please understand, I'm TRYING to show you how YOU can figure this out on your own, WITHOUT me just-plain exposing the entire method in public (which I am "sworn" not to do).

He's NOT a stooge. It happened EXACTLY as HE THINKS IT DID. DBs version is BOGUS, as is his "evidence." Period.

Hope that helps.

-- TW

PS: Here's another way I can expand your mind about these matters -- do a google search for these terms... mentalism and "pre-show work" Believe me, you are judging what Derren Brown is telling you -- but your judgement is skewed, because in these matters, you don't know what the *hell* you're talking about. Just like those judges on that talent show in the OP's post. They are reaching conclusions + judgments, coming from a COLOSSAL CAVERN OF IGNORANCE. Unfortunately, it results in attributing "talents" where there ARE NONE!!!!

Mark and Timothy.; The video I was watching is this one. The first 15 minutes of "readings" is what I was talking about. Sorry for not pointing out the act I was discussing.

The Amazing Kreskin does the same thing. He doesn't claim mystical powers (in his books), but then he gives the same 'subtle readings of body language" explanation. It's kind of irritating. And he even says that he sometimes doesn't know how he does his illusions. My guess is that he has a small number of believers in his audience, and wants to keep that appeal alive.