'Digital Deck' by Dave Allen (Manchester, England). --------------------------------------------------- (see installation instructions before unpacking DIGDEC.ZIP) This is an unusual 'mindreading' type magic trick, implemented in batch files, in which the computer is used to reveal a playing card selected by a spectator. It will run on any PC compatible, although the Atari Portfolio is recommended. I am a semi-professional magician and I came up with this idea some time ago, but couldn't use it until the Portfolio came along and made the whole thing more portable and practical. The batch file implementation is messy but I couldn't get any compiled program (either C or Pascal) to run on my Portfolio, maybe because it has an old version of the operating system. The effect is that you hand your Portfolio to a spectator and ask them to name aloud ANY playing card. This is a completely free choice on the part of the spectator. You then ask them to enter one or two words or phrases at the keyboard. This results in the name of their chosen card being displayed on the Portfolio screen. Note that you don't have to touch the computer while performing this - in fact you can stand some distance away, which is more effective. The method is based on a simple code, in which the words or phrases entered by the spectator, following your instructions, result in the display of the desired card. The spectator is in fact running the batch files which lead to the display of the card. The following is an explanation of the code, which takes some effort to memorise. A magician I know who was recently performing this at a Computer Exhibition used a small 'cue card' to avoid having to memorise the code. Some notes on memorising the code are given at the end. The cards are divided into eight groups as follows:- low hearts (A-7) high hearts (8-K) low clubs (A-7) high clubs (8-K) low diamonds (A-7) high diamonds (8-K) low spades (A-7) high spades (8-K) The FIRST word or phrase typed in by the spectator selects one of the above groups as follows:- WORD or PHRASE Group Selected -------------- -------------- GO high hearts SHOW ME A TRICK low clubs HELLO high clubs MAGIC low diamonds TRICK high diamonds START low spades BEGIN high spades The 'low hearts' group is already selected (by default) before you begin, so if the spectator has named one of these, the first word or phrase is not needed. The words GO, SHOW, HELLO etc. correspond to batch filenames. The SECOND word or phrase selects the individual card as follows:- WORD or PHRASE CARD SELECTED -------------- ------------- CARD ACE or EIGHT (depending whether low or high WHICH CARD TWO or NINE group selected by previous entry) READ MY MIND THREE or TEN WHAT IS MY CARD FOUR or JACK CARDS FIVE or QUEEN NAME THE CARD SIX or KING READY SEVEN The method is simply to ask the spectator to type the words or phrases necessary to reveal his selection. (see example below) Some advice on how to present this is as follows:- Prepare the computer before handing it to the spectator as described under 'Preparation'. If necessary, briefly explain the keyboard to the spectator, pointing out the return key, the space bar and the backspace key (used to correct typing errors). EXAMPLE:- Ask the spectator to name any card. Suppose the spectator names the four of clubs. Ask the spectator to type the first word or phrase in accordance with the code. In this case he must type 'SHOW ME A TRICK'. Make sure the spectator presses the return key when he has finished typing. (This procedure will run the batch file 'SHOW.BAT') At this point the computer will display the following:- 'READY TO RECEIVE TELEPATHIC MESSAGE'. Ask the spectator to type the second word or phrase to select the individual card, in this case 'WHAT IS MY CARD'. (This runs the batch file WHAT.BAT) At the end of this sequence, the computer displays 'YOUR CARD WAS THE FOUR OF CLUBS'. Don't forget that for low hearts you only need to ask the spectator to enter the word or phrase for card selection, e.g. for the six of hearts the spectator just types "NAME THE CARD". The key to success in deceiving the spectator is the presentation. The spectator must believe that he would have typed the same words or phrases whichever card he had selected. Obviously the effect cannot be repeated for the same audience (see ideas/hints). The following are suggested 'psuedo-explanations' which can be used to prompt a spectator to enter a particular word or phrase. GO,START or BEGIN "I've written a program which enables this computer to find out what your card is. To start the program, please type in GO/START/BEGIN" SHOW ME A TRICK "Ask the computer to show you a trick, just type in SHOW ME A TRICK" HELLO "You have to get the computer's attention before it will do anything for you - type in HELLO" MAGIC "If you want the computer to show you some magic, just type in MAGIC" TRICK "If you want the computer to show you a trick, just type in TRICK" The display of 'READY TO RECEIVE TELEPATHIC MESSAGE' after the first word or phrase is entered is intended to set up the the following suggested prompts for the spectator to enter the second word or phrase:- CARD "The computer doesn't know what type of thing you're thinking of. It could be a number, a date or a name for example. Tell it that you're thinking of a card, by typing in CARD." CARDS "(see above) ...Tell it that you're thinking of one of the cards, by typing in CARDS." WHICH CARD "Ask the computer which card you're thinking of" READ MY MIND "Ask the computer to read your mind" WHAT IS MY CARD "Ask the computer what your card is" NAME THE CARD "Ask the computer to name the card" READY "The computer is ready to read your mind. Whenever you are ready, type READY" Installation ------------ The files needed are DOIT.BAT, a subdirectory called CARD, containing some batch files and a subdirectory called HIGH (within CARD) which also contains some batch files. (NB When DEZIPping DIGDEC.ZIP, first make the subdirectories CARD and CARD\HIGH. I suggest DEZIPping and testing this on a floppy disk first, after making these subdirectories on the floppy, because the batch files use absolute pathnames e.g. \CARD\HIGH) It is recommended that you install these on disk C: (the ram disk on the portfolio), as follows. First make a subdirectory called CARD (md CARD). Then make another subdirectory called CARD\HIGH (md CARD\HIGH). Copy the files from the CARD subdirectory into the CARD subdirectory you have just created. Copy the files from the CARD\HIGH subdirectory into the CARD\HIGH subdirectory you have just created. Copy the file DOIT.BAT from the floppy disk or RAM card onto drive C:, into the root directory \. PREPARATION ----------- To get the computer for performance, type DOIT. This changes directory (CD) to the CARD subdirectory. If you are using an Atari Portfolio it is recommended that before handing the computer to a spectator, you set the keyclick ON and the CAPS LOCK on. The CLS command can be used to clear the screen before and after performance. IDEAS/HINTS Note that only the first word of each phrase is used. This gives the spectator some flexibility when typing in phrases, for example NAME THE CARD and NAME MY CARD both have the same effect. Try using a marked deck, rather than having the spectator name a card aloud. MEMORISING THE CODE The best way to practice memorising the code is to run through a shuffled deck of cards, trying out the code for each card. Some suggested 'memory aids' are as follows:- CARD SELECTED MEMORY AID ------------- ---------- TWO or NINE (9-7=2) WHICH CARD=two words THREE or TEN (10-7=3) READ MY MIND=three words FOUR or JACK (jack=11, 11-7=4) WHAT IS MY CARD=four words FIVE or QUEEN (queen=12, 12-7=5) CARDS=five letters GROUP SELECTED WORD or PHRASE -------------- -------------- low clubs SHOW ME A TRICK (low=show) high clubs HELLO (H=Hello) low spades START (S=Spades) The code described in these instructions was evolved over a few weeks of trying the effect out on people. It is easy to modify the code if you think of an improvement, simply by changing the name of the relevant batch file.