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Berglass Effect

I've been playing around with a CAAN-esque effect which I'm not sure whether others have used it, or if it's any good. The difference is after a card is selected, lost and a number is named: the cards are cut where the magician is told to stop riffling through the deck. That is done fairly: the magician stops exactly where asked to and no cards change positions apart from the cut that is meant to happen. This means that the card they selected is the number of cards down they selected, starting from the point in the deck they selected.

It's probably a weaker effect due to the extra step. It loses simplicity. But I've been playing around with it, still.

Is anyone familiar with anybody else trying this plot? What do people think of it?
 
Alan said:
I've been playing around with a CAAN-esque effect which I'm not sure whether others have used it, or if it's any good. The difference is after a card is selected, lost and a number is named: the cards are cut where the magician is told to stop riffling through the deck. That is done fairly: the magician stops exactly where asked to and no cards change positions apart from the cut that is meant to happen. This means that the card they selected is the number of cards down they selected, starting from the point in the deck they selected.

It's probably a weaker effect due to the extra step. It loses simplicity. But I've been playing around with it, still.

Is anyone familiar with anybody else trying this plot? What do people think of it?
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I don't know if anyone else is doing it, but it could be a strong effect, though be careful of what type of effect you want.

In it's simplest and most direct form, ACAAN is primarily a strong mental effect; your description seems more like a magical effect. Neither is better, but either might be less appropriate for the atmosphere you create with your show and persona.
 
As shown that effect is impossible I think. Something has gone on that we've not seen and I don't mean a sleight of hand. As per many Derren Brown TV tricks (as opposed to his stage stuff), I suspect we've not been shown something crucial to the workings of this effect.

It looks like it's now available: http://www.penguinmagic.com/p/S11685 - assuming that's the same effect which might be a big assumption.
 
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That is not the same effect but it is in the same genre.

And thank you, Garrette. :)
 
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Whilst it's not the same method on that show I'm guessing it's part the method used in other circumstances....plus a little pre show work.

All these "perfect effects" are legendary for good reason - they are simply not possible as described. Just like the perfect diet people cannot resist the endless search. If they found out the the answer, which is inevitably mundane they would be disappointed.

Looking at it again the way Parkinson says "give you it now"? could indicate PSW as could Martine's concern about ruining the trick. Certainly I'd say there is some PSW here and if not then it's blind luck and he would have done a different trick if it hadn't worked out. Maybe a little of both.

There are bound to be several ways to produce "The Berglas Effect" as reported, depending on the situation. Personally I think it's mostly hype. This thread at Magic Cafe is illuminating I think: http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewtopic.php?topic=424121&forum=110
 
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I've researched this effect because of this thread.

I'm knowledgeable about what is possible and what isn't. I perform myself.

I suspect every performance of his hasn't gone to youtube. This effect is brilliant and I believe he has often gone to plan B while performing this effect.
 
We all know there is no magic.

This brilliant card trick is problematic because we can't say how it is done.

I'm willing to say this card trick is something we should all acknowledge is as close to woo as is possible. I know it is woo. I honestly doubt you can make someone guess a certain number under any circumstances.
 
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This is an unusual trick -- no one knows how it works.

As a skeptic, I'm going with the belief of probability.

When the trick doesn't work he has a plan B no one sees on YouTube.


I am saying there is no way he he can make this trick work 100% of the time. (How can he?)
 
I've performed amazing effects with a stripper deck

This is not the case with the Berglass Effect.

The Berglass Effect is real magic (but we all know there isn't real magic, so how the hell is it done)?
 
I think we've already covered various ways it can be done. Stooges, pre-show work, only going ahead when perfect conditions exist, 52 packs of cards and so on. It's bound to be one or all of these.
 
Not necessarily. There could be more methods.

I saw a Liu Qian (Luchen) performance on YouTube where he asked an audience member to name a number between 1 and 52...but there was at least one joker shown in the deck. Hmmm...


(number 37 at around 7:30)

He seems to be able to perform it reliably. He says he is going to perform the Berglas effect beforehand. He wouldn't do that if he's relying on people to happen to name a card/number combination that just happens to line up. And if you think that there would be lots of times when that doesn't work out and the videos just aren't released and people don't speak of it, including performances with people like Berglas in the room like the second video I'll link to, the number of videos that wouldn't be released and nobody there would be allowed to talk about would make stooges the far superior choice.


(also, it's between 1 and 50 in that performance)

Things are thrown by other people into the audience to select who names the things, making stooges and pre-show work implausible. It would involve a group of stooges. And they say that they didn't do anything beforehand. Just like it's a lazy method to use, it's a lazy method to accuse people of using.

I think that if someone says it's stooges or happens by chance, it likely just means they were fooled.

Here's another Luchen performance of a Berglas-esque effect, with a method that I am familiar with.
 
NeilC said:
I think we've already covered various ways it can be done. Stooges, pre-show work, only going ahead when perfect conditions exist, 52 packs of cards and so on. It's bound to be one or all of these.
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Of your 4 alternatives only stooges is not a foolish option. I have noticed the cards are never shuffled. In the first video it would require a person famous enough to be on a talk show to be in on it and use a mnemonic device to memorize a stacked deck. Actors (especially British, who kick ass because they learn Shakespeare) must use mnemonic devices to memorize lines. So that is possible.

However, this effect is so famous that if he used a stooge every time one of those stooges would have sold him out by now. I am discounting stooges.

I like the fact there is a magic grail to try and figure out.
 
The bottom line is if you can manipulate people to such an incredible level - you would be making more money in another field than a magician.

My point is the people who believe this effect requires skills you never hope you could attain are less likely to be correct as what I always think, which is "This trick has been done before, I just have to see how."
 
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