Cards of Coincidence ... Reimagined by Steve Pellegrino

Lewis Ganson wrote about Cards of Coincidence in Dai Vernon's Further Inner Secrets of Card Magic: "THERE IS NOT a difficult move anywhere in this routine, yet the effect produced is card magic at its very best."

Steve Pellegrino has taken the routine and redeveloped it for contemporary audiences. The effect progresses with two close predictions and ends with a triumphant finale of a perfect match.

Effect: You display a black envelope, which a spectator examines, and two decks of cards, a red and a blue deck. A spectator shuffles the blue deck, which the magician spreads on the table.

One at a time, you make three predictions from a red-backed deck of cards. The first prediction is placed in a black envelope before the spectator makes a free selection from the blue deck. Then, you put the spectator's free choice in the envelope. Finally, you let both cards drop out of the envelope. The values match, but the suits do not.

For the second prediction, you choose a new card or write your prediction and place it in the envelope. The spectator freely selects a card, and their chosen card goes in the envelope with the prediction. The magician opens the envelope, and the prediction is off by one card.

Finally, on the third prediction, you eliminate the envelope. Again, you remove one card from the red deck, the spectator removes one from the blue deck: this time, your prediction matches.

It's a unique plot for a lay audience who typically expect you to find a selected card. Add in an engaging premise of apparently failing to be 100% accurate with your predictions, and you have a commercial routine.

1st edition 2021, PDF 16 pages.
word count: 4213 which is equivalent to 16 standard pages of text