Double Down
by Bryn Reynolds

DOUBLE-DOWN can be seen on the Bonus Disk of Richard Osterlind's great new DVD set NO CAMERA TRICKS!

DOUBLE-DOWN is A PERFECT DUAL DIVINATION USING REAL CASINO CARDS!

This is a very straightforward dual-divination that involves very little work in proportion to the impact of the effect. It is very clean with all actions justified and at the end there is nothing for the spectators to retrace. No sleights, nothing written down, no marked cards, and everything is examinable. Just a lot of fun with cool props and some powerful mentalism.

EFFECT:

The mentalist shows his "card collection" of some souvenir playing cards from various casinos. Each card is from a different casino and each face has a different value. A spectator is invited to cut off some of the cards for himself (no force) and the remainder is given to a second spectator. Each freely shuffles their respective packets, even turning cards face up or face down as they wish, and each spectator thinks of a secret number...nothing is ever said or written down. The packet is reassembled and again shuffled by each spectator if they wish; again some cards face up and some face down if they desire.

The performer shows the cards to the spectators and they only think of either the particular casino or playing card value that falls on their secret mental number as the cards are shown. Since the cards are in such a mess either could be showing. Nothing is ever said or written down by either spectator yet the performer not only tells each spectator whether they thought of a casino or a playing card he then goes on to name the exact casino names or the values of the playing cards!

"I just got Bryn’s Double-Down. This is a killer card effect that has great props! You show a bunch of Casino cards (the kind you buy directly from the Casino with holes punched in them or corners rounded) from all the major hotels in Las Vegas. The cards are fairly divided between 2 spectators and mixed up. I mean they are “really” mixed up both face-up and face-down! They are reassembled and further mixed if you want. Then the 2 spectators each “mentally” choose a number and a card as they are fairly fanned in front of them. The mentalist then names either the Casino name or the card itself depending on what way they are facing. It is direct, fun and uses great props!"
- Richard Osterlind

"'Double Down' is exceedingly clever. The more I work with it, the more I appreciate its subtle and sophisticated construction. Bryn's use of individual casino cards is inspired and very commercial. One of the best, most interesting tricks I've come across in a long time; double (thumbs) up for 'Double Down.'"
- John Bannon, author of Smoke & Mirrors and Impossibilia