Relaxed Impossibilities

is what result when an acclaimed master of card magic sets out to explore how advanced sleight-of-hand can be made far easier to attain through a perceptive study of economy of action married to efficient placement of cards. By applying a lifetime of study and ability, world-respected expert Ken Krenzel has developed innovative methods that will place techniques long perceived as extremely difficult into the hands of card magicians possessing average skills. Such advanced sleights as palms, steals, switches, side steals, bottom deals and top changes, sleights previously used by only the most dedicated and gifted card technicians, are ingeniously modified and re-imagined to put them into your performing repertoire within a few weeks, rather than years.

After providing a variety of sleights capable of wide utility, Krenzel delivers a collection of tricks and routines that apply these tools and others. The result is magic that ranges from eye-popping visuals to logic-defying card mysteries, many of which take place solely in the hands of the spectator! Indeed, this type of hands-off card magic, designed to leave no easy answers for audiences, is a special focus of Dr. Krenzel in this book.

teaches material designed for those who desire to broaden their skills and give their audiences an experience they've never before had. In its pages many new pathways are opened and some stunning destination points are provided.

• Facial - A Wild-Card printing effect like no other. Four blank-faced cards magically duplicate the face of a selected random card. Each transformation is visual and instantaneous, all the cards are inspected before and afterward, and with each performance a different card is duplicated.
• Fan World - A new approach to the Out-of-This-World effect in which the deck may be shuffled at any point during the procedure, you do not look at the faces of the cards, the duration of the test may be as short or as long as wished, there are no packet exchanges and only two pilesone red, one blackare formed. Yet, you have complete control over a spectator's ability to correctly guess the color of each card.
• Strange Hummer - Anyone shuffles the deck (which may be borrowed), deals off ten random cards and mixes them face up and face down under the table, where no one can see what is being done. The mixing procedure becomes more and more random, until everyone, including fellow magicians, must admit you have no control over it. While the packet is still out of sight under the table, you announce the number of cards that are face up and face down, which proves to be correct. You also point out that the spectator has mysteriously separated the red cards from the blacks!
• AUTOMACAAN - The Any-Card-at-Any-Number effect is given three new treatments, including one in which the deck may be borrowed and you never touch the cards. The spectator does everything. This trick may even be performed over the telephonea genuine and exciting breakthrough in both method and effect.

These are just four of the more than thirty new items in

. All are thoroughly taught, aided by over 170 expert illustrations by Earle Oakes. When you add streamlined and accessible manipulation to new principles of sleight-less card magic, the result is

. You now can relax too, they are awaiting you.

254 - Hardbound with Dust Jacket