Cards of Cairo by Docc Hilford

An Amazing Journey Through Time, Revealing The Past, Present and Future

Docc Hilford's Cards of Cairo is a piece of apparent fortunetelling that's very easy to do and completely baffles any audience. Here's the effect:

The faces of three over-sized cards are shown to the audience. You explain that everyone will now take a mystical journey from the past, through the present and into the future.

You go on to explain that the journey began in the past when you wrote three predictions about a spectator and sealed them under plastic to the backs of each card. A spectator chooses a face-up card and when the card is turned over it reads, "You Will Choose This Card First" and it even goes on to say something about the spectator's future. Of course, everyone thinks it's just a joke and that all the cards say the same thing. But, when the second card chosen is turned over it reads, "This Card Will Be Picked Second!" The final card's prediction prognosticates that it will be the last of the spectator's selections, three for three!
Completely self-contained
Nothing is switched
Predictions really are sealed to the cards
Predictions were written before the show
No forcing-every choice is completely free!
Easy to do
Includes three cards, gimmicks, pen and detailed instructions.
Flare Optico - Three people take arithmetic flash cards from a stack, each containing a different problem in addition. Even though the flash cards are hidden, the mentalist reveals the total from each problem. For an added climax, he reveals all the numbers in the problem.

Dolce Libra - A spectator holds a phone book behind his back and chooses a page. He brings it around in front and reads a name on the chosen page. The mentalist reveals the chosen name and number! It's simple, but oh so clean. Any borrowed phone book is used. The spectator has an apparent free choice. You never have to see anything. No cues or glimpses.

Special Delivery - Two spectators help the mentalist write a dozen or so names on billets. Someone randomly chooses one of the folded papers. A spectator seals it in an envelope. Although the people in the audience are unknown to him, the performer is able to deliver the sealed envelope to the person in the audience whose name was randomly selected!

SPECIAL BONUS!

Three Sided Brain - If a performer spent double the price of this book for this single trick, he would be getting a great deal. This original performance piece has been a feature of a very successful mentalist on the west coast since Docc taught it to him. The exclusive rights agreement has passed and although it will possibly be released as a limited DVD in the future, Docc explains in great detail the performing nuances necessary to make this a feature in YOUR program.

Three spectators are used. Each decides on a thought. The mentalist writes something on a large 9" x 12" card. It's placed in an envelope numbered "1" and handed to the first spectator. This is repeated with the other two spectators. Later, it's seen that what the mentalist wrote matches each of their cards. The mentalist is also able to give a lot of unwritten information about the spectators.

There are no carbons, billets, special envelopes or pre-show clipboards. You give intimate details about subjects that you couldn't possibly know. If you use the CEO of the hosting corporation, he'll never understand how you knew his mother's maiden name or what he ate for breakfast. No one ever spoke to him or had him write anything; in fact, you can decide to use him at the last minute while you're on stage.

This truly is a professional method devised through years of experience.

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Tempest - A person writes a question on a slip of paper, folds it, and hides it under one of three inverted cups. Although the mentalist has had his back turned during this procedure, he's able to identify which cup covers the paper and to accurately answer the question! If you want to be a billet reader, this is for you.

Devil Dice - The mentalist tells a tale about gambling with the devil. He puts his wallet on a table. A spectator rolls a pair of dice three times. The numbers on the dice are totaled. Inside the wallet is a written prophesy that predicts the total. There are no forces of indexes. Just one prediction is used and it's written before the spectator sees the numbers on the dice.

Dicipher Bars - A set of unusual numbered bars are randomly positioned to make more and more difficult problems in addition. The mentalist is able to beat a calculator's speed in determining the total to every problem. Finally, he predicts the total of a problem yet to be seen! All of this proves an ability to see into the future!

Her Number - Two women both write down a phone number of a friend and their own numbers on the back of a business card. While one holds the card, you tell them which number is which, and finally reveal one of the women's phone numbers!

Libretta Minutia - A spectator puts three tiny number cards together in any manner he wishes. This creates a three-digit number that represents a random page form a miniature book. He looks at the chosen page and silently reads a word. The mentalist reveals the mentally chosen word. The charm of this trick is only surpassed by its clean method.

Ouijan - A spectator thinks of a number from 1 to 10. The mentalist touches a planchette on a tiny Ouija board. The spirits move it until finally stopping on the spectator's mentally chosen number.

The effects in this volume could be played together to form a complete and balanced close-up program. Busy performers are always on the watch for good close-up mentalism; here it is.

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