Over the Rainbow, Under the Box
My mother often tells the story of the time she watched The Wizard of Oz on her family’s first Color Television. For the uninitiated, the film starts in black and white, and after an iconic song and tornado, Dorothy wakes up in The Land of Oz. My mother fondly recalls how everyone’s jaws dropped when Dorothy first opens the door of her crash-landed cottage revealing a new world in vivid Technicolor- “We had never seen color on TV before!”
My first magic video was Doc Eason’s Bar Magic set by L&L. The melodramatic magic websites of the early 2000s were my only lens into magic before then, so watching Doc elicit shrieks of excitement, raucous laughter and even singing in a magic show was my coming to Oz moment. I wore out that DVD, and I told myself that I would learn his card under glass routine if I ever had a bar show of my own. I kept my promise to myself in 2015 when I landed a twice-a-week bar gig at the Maui Coffee Attic.
After months of experimentation and developing an original “card under” set, I decided to use the card box instead of the glass. I still suspect that the glass might be stronger since the card appears in plain sight. But I prefer the box because you can create suspense leading up the moment when you push the box aside to reveal the card. The routine we are about to discuss will work either way.
Magicians sometimes avoid this plot for the same reason they avoid coin magic: fear of getting caught. This hesitation can be overcome in different ways, but what I’d like to share with you is a foolproof first phase that guarantees that you will not get caught the first time you sneak their selection under the glass or box.
If you know for sure that you will not get caught the first time no matter how drunk or observant the audience happens to be that night, it will embolden you to do it a second time, a third time….maybe even an eighth time. More than anything, it’s a warmup for you.
Doc and I discussing The Card Under Glass/Box at Rocky Mountain Session, 2017
The First One Under
Remove the cards from the box to have them shuffled. Set the box off to your right side, and have a card chosen by the spectator seated immediately in front of you. Turn your back as the card is shown up and down the bar and execute the following reversal: spread through the pack face up until you find a three somewhere near the center.
Gather all the cards below the three in the left hand and turn them facedown onto the spread, on top of the three. Gather all the cards above the three in the right hand and turn them facedown onto the cards in the left hand. You are now holding a facedown deck with a face-up three on bottom. This should take no more than a second or two. (I first became aware of this reversal via Earl Nelson’s “Sleeve Aces.” He does not remember the credit, nor do I. Feel free to comment).
Face the audience begin an overhand shuffle. Turn your body to the right so that they will not notice the reversed card on bottom and him them to call stop. Have the spectator place his selection onto the left hand packet and toss the remainder of the pack onto it. The reversed three is above their selection in the center of the pack.
“I am going to hold the cards at my very fingertips. Not my fingertips…my very fingertips. If I shake the pack like this, one card reverses itself. Did you see it happen?”
Ribbon spread the cards face up onto the bar. They will immediately notice two things: (1) a reversed card in center and (2) the face-up selection next to it. In other words, it will look as though you missed by one. Let this picture sink in for a few beats and then slide the face-down card (the three) out of the pack. Ask them if they still remember their card. All your attention is on them and all their attention is on the face down card. Simply cut their face-up selection to back of the face-up pack and turn the pack facedown. With the selection ontop, take pack into right hand Biddle grip in preparation for a one-hand top palm.
Ask, “What was your card?” They’ll respond, “The five of spades.” Pick up the tabled card with the left hand and look at it yourself (top palm here). Smile. Slide it toward them and say, “turn it over.” Until now they were certain that you had messed up, but suddenly they are doubting themselves (Did he switch it? Did I remember the wrong card? Does he have two? Is he just messing with me?)
They turn it over and revealing the three. The moment they flip over the card, load the palmed selection under the card box by releasing it onto the table and sliding the box onto it with the right hand.
“Wait, you said three right? No?” Look down the bar. “He’s lying! I never miss a card. Five of spades? Really?” They confirm that it was the five of spades. At this moment, I deliver a modified old line. Looking flustered, say, “There’s an explanation for this. This three is an indicator card. It indicates one of two things. Either it indicates that I screwed up (this gets a laugh. Cut them off.) or that your card is three…three feet away…under the card box.”
Slowly move your eyes over to the card box. On a good night, they will start reacting before you even turn it over. (“I just saw it in the deck!”)
Final Thoughts
Many reading this will conclude that the procedure is a bit overkill just to sneak a card under the box. I agree. But remember, like music or exercise, the warmup is to get you physically and mentally prepared for the heavy lifting and to build confidence. After this short phase, the audience begins to realize that you were miles ahead of them from the start, so they must pay attention. This realization is invaluable in a loud bar setting- so the sooner the better.
This is the beginning of my much longer routine, but I believe you can fill in the rest with your own ideas. I hope it will get you started on a wonderful classic in bar magic!
“You have plenty of courage, I am sure. All you need is confidence in yourself. There is no living thing that is not afraid when it faces danger. The true courage is in facing danger when you are afraid. And that kind of courage you have in plenty.”