Trick That Cannot Be Explained

69 entries in Cards / Effect Themes / Prediction / Trick That Cannot Be Explained
Creators Title Comments & References Year Source Page AA Categories
Joe Berg A Miracle - Maybe unknown card signed on back, deck spread face up on table and spectator finds card, either directly or via improvisation
Related to 1942
Cut the Cards
22
J. B. Bobo Bobo Locatrix card selected with seemingly fair cutting procedure, key card, location via "Trick that Cannot be Explained" type procedure
 		1947
Watch This One!
36
Audley Walsh Improvisation card signed on back, improvisation to find it from the face
Related toVariations 1949
52 Amazing Card Tricks
50
Lu Brent A Prediction Supreme face-up card placed in face-down spread, used to count/spell to random card, which is predicted, The Trick That Cannot Be Explained
VariationsAlso published here 1952
The Last Word on Cards
44
Mike Kanter A Location Supreme same impro procedure used to find a selection
Inspired by 1952
The Last Word on Cards
45
Lu Brent A Prediction Supreme face-up card placed in face-down spread, used to count/spell to random card, which is predicted, The Trick That Cannot Be Explained
Related toVariationsAlso published here 1956
Fifteen Star Card Effects
9
Dai Vernon The Trick That Cannot be Explained
Related toVariations 1960
More Inner Secrets of Card Magic
76
Dai Vernon, Harry Lorayne Calculated Risk variant of "The Trick That Cannot Be Explained" in which a named card is found
Inspired byVariations 1962
Close-up Card Magic
130
Edward Marlo Unexpected Prediction
Related toVariationsAlso published here 1968
Expert Card Conjuring
88
Milton Kort Off Color Prediction card chosen (cannot be explained like), it is predicted on a piece of paper, paper changes color, then back of card as well
 		1970
Off-Color Card Tricks
49
Charles Hopkins Hopkin's Spread Prediction (a la Vernon) No. 405, very short description of The Trick That Cannot Be Explained
 		1972
Jacob Daley's Notebooks
110
E. Leslie May Asulikeit a set of ESP cards is used to reveal chosen symbol, "trick that cannot be explained", multiple out, see also p. 758 for comment by Marvin Johnson
 		Feb. 1974
The Pallbearers Review (Vol. 9 No. 4)
708
Faucett Ross The Problem Anecdote about The Trick That Cannot Be Explained in a letter to Charlie Miller
 		1975
Magic With Faucett Ross
218
Roger Smith The Ultimate Trick That Cannot Be Explained strategies and handlings for the trick
Inspired by 1977
The Ultimate Card Book No. 2
2
Jack Yates Effect mnemonicosis type effect, card is named and located by various means, "In a way, it becomes rather like Dai Vernon's 'Trick that cannot be explained'"
 		1978
Jack's Pack
2
Mark Weston Spectator Unexplained (After Vernon) ideas
Inspired by Dec. 1979
Pabular (Vol. 5 No. 12)
770
Dr. Stanley Jaks Die angekreuzte Karte unknown card marked on back, spectator choses it from the face, TTTCBE
 		Dec. 1981
Intermagic (Vol. 8 No. 4)
135
Simon Lovell Jazz Magic Some outs and ideas for improvisational magic to locate "freely named" card
Related to 1989
Close Up Magic To Tapdance To
119
Toni Forster Totale Freiheit
June 1993
Intermagic (Vol. 18 No. 1)
27
Alex Elmsley Fate's Datebook part of "The Dazzle Act" (starting on page 425 until the end of the book), using a improvisational type of selection procedure
Related toVariations 1994
The Collected Works of Alex Elmsley — Volume 2
433
Michael Close Jazzin - The Trick that Can be Explained finding a named card via improvisation
Related to 1996
Workers Number 5
160
Edward Marlo Uncontrolled Prediction
Related to 1996
Facsimile (Issue 4)
6
Alex Elmsley Inexplicable with computer program, programmed version of Vernon's "Trick that cannot be explained"
Inspired by 1996
Mouse Magic
33
David Solomon Business Card Prediction prediction printed on business card, "trick that cannot be explained" type procedure for the force
Also published here 1997
Solomon's Mind
87
Justin Higham The Variation That Can Be Explained
Related to 1999
Collected Card Notes
67
Mark Levy The Trick that Can Be Explained all card eliminated except one which matches prediction
 		July 1999
Magic (Vol. 8 No. 11)
76
Paul Chosse Triple Header spectator removes any three random cards, they are used to "calculate" name of selection with pseudo rules
Inspired by 2004
Weapons of Mass Destruction
64
Juan Tamariz Mnemonicosis (Tamariz on Ideas by Marlo and Vernon) finding named card via improvisation
  • A. Mnemonicosis
  • B. Card Control
  • C. Mnemonicosis over the Phone
Inspired byRelated to 2004
Mnemonica
97
Juan Tamariz A Star is Born spectator locates named card, bunch of cards selected and divided into two piles, one eliminated, other pile cut and selection is found
 		2004
Mnemonica
135
Juan Tamariz Mnemonicosis with a Half Stack with a thought of card and a selected card
 		2004
Mnemonica
242
Eric Mead Jazz Chart & Favorite Licks strategies
  • Opening Gambits
  • Cheating
  • A Favorite Lick
  • Formula Lick
  • Superior Lick
  • Quick Lick
  • Last Dance
  • Tips and Tools
Inspired by 2006
Tangled Web
123
Darwin Ortiz Chapter Six: Conceptual Distance
  • Physical Barriers
    • The Hole Container
  • Information Barriers
    • Case Study: The Trick That Can't Be Explained
    • Information Barriers and Conservation
    • Creating Information Barriers
    • Case Study: Note Under Cup
  • The Veils Principle
  • Barriers of False Explanations
  • Eliminate Suspicion Before It Forms
 		2006
Designing Miracles
103
Dr. Stanley Jaks Jaks Trick that Cannot Be Explained unknown card marked on back, spectator choses it from the face, TTTCBE
 		2006
Designing Miracles
107
Lu Brent A Prediction Supreme TTTCBE
Also published here 2006
Designing Miracles
108
Darwin Ortiz The Trick that Takes Forever to Explain TTTCBE
Inspired by 2006
Designing Miracles
108
Jon Racherbaumer Spontaneous Bob Cunning The Artful Ledger
on improvisational magic, Chan Canasta, TTTCBE
  • Sidebar (About Retrograde Analysis)
  • Sidebar #2: Spontaneous Resourcefulness
Related to Feb. 2006
Antinomy (Vol. 2 No. 1)
5
Jon Racherbaumer On Vernon's "The Trick That Cannot Be Explained"
Related to Feb. 2006
Antinomy (Vol. 2 No. 1)
10
Edward Marlo Unexpected Prediction
Also published here Feb. 2006
Antinomy (Vol. 2 No. 1)
11
Stewart James Face-Up Prediction Similar to The Trick That Cannot Be Explained
 		2007
The Essential Stewart James
24
Jörg Alexander Weber Face-Up Spread Force tabled, in steps, "trick that cannot be explained"
 		2008
ZauberKunstStücke — Band 2
38
Jon Racherbaumer The Trick That Can Be Explained The Artful Ledger
"Preliminary Notes Regarding Contingency, Opportunism and Preparedness"
Related to Oct. 2008
Antinomy (Vol. 4 No. 2)
5
Jon Racherbaumer Marlo's Ghostly Prediction Seven of Diamonds prediction on cover of "Marlo Without Tears"
Inspired by Oct. 2008
Antinomy (Vol. 4 No. 2)
9
Mark Levy Leveraged Prediction two halves made, performer removes a mate from one half that matches an eventual selection from the other half
 		Oct. 2008
Antinomy (Vol. 4 No. 2)
12
David Solomon Business Card Prediction prediction printed on business card, "trick that cannot be explained" type procedure for the force
Also published here 2009
Solomon's Notes
1
Justin Higham The Trick That Cannot Be Explained chapter 8
Related to 2010
Secrets of Improvisational Magic
62
David Britland The Trick That Cannot Be Explained
  • Cardopolis
top card is predicted after a spectator's shuffle
 		Feb. 2011
Genii (Vol. 74 No. 2)
36
David Britland The Trick That Can Be Explained Will de Sieve card
Inspired by
  • "Kismet Connection" (Ted Lesley, Para Miracles)
 Feb. 2011
Genii (Vol. 74 No. 2)
36
Roberto Giobbi The Trick That Andy Warhol Could Have Explained one of four cards can be forced, with 52-on-1 gag card
Inspired byRelated toAlso published here 2012
Confidences
251
Roberto Giobbi TTTCBE - The Trick That Cannot Be Explained one of four cards can be forced, with 52-on-1 gag card
Also published here 2013
TTTCBE
2
Justin Higham The Previous Effect how to lead into The 75% Production
  • Basic Procedure
  • End Notes
  • Spread-Cutting
Related to 2014
The 75% Production and The Trick With No Method
9
Harry Lorayne Calculated Risk "trick that cannot be explained"
Inspired by 2015
JawDroppers!
181
Paul Vigil Using Equivoque in "The Trick That Cannot Be Explained" strategy to get down to five cards
Inspired byRelated to 2017
The Doors of Deception
162
Charlie Miller, Johnny Thompson The Trick that Cannot be Explained
Inspired by 2018
The Magic of Johnny Thompson (Issue 1)
271
Harapan Ong Direct Ambigrams "The Law of Non-Conservation of Card Magic & Tawanokomu"
two ambigram revelations from a formula and Japanese characters, "trick that cannot be explained" application
 		2018
Principia
183
Harapan Ong On the Fundamental Structure of Routines I: Linear structures
II: Branching structures
  • Equivoque
  • Multiple Outs
III: The Trick That Cannot Be Explained
IV: Conclusion
V: References
 		2018
Principia
211
Harapan Ong On Apophenia and Coincidence Effects I: An anecdote (impossible vs. improbable)
II: Infusing Intention
III: Connecting random dots
IV: Another anecdote ( "trick that cannot be explained")
V: References
 		2018
Principia
216
Harapan Ong Thoughts on "The Trick That Cannot Be Explained" I: Introduction
II: Favorite "Licks"
Inspired by 2018
Principia
229
Xiaobo Zhou 降落伞/JLS 找牌系统 (Parachute Card Location) JLS: Jazz Location System. Describes a system used to locate cards and perform The Trick That Cannot Be Explained
  • 1. Dead Cut to the Selection
  • 2. Name the Position of the Selection
  • 3. Impromptu 1-20 ACAAN
 		2018
Enthusiasm
43
Roberto Giobbi The Trick That Can Be Explained sure fire
 		2021
Sharing Secrets
109
Dani DaOrtiz Impromptu mnemonicosis spectator thinks of card in deck, deck is shuffled, another spectator names a number and card is arrived at
 		2021
Freedom of Expression
125
Eugene Burger The Trick That Cannot Be Explained Burger's handling, card chosen and mate is found in card case
  • Introduction
  • Stage One. Discussion Points and Variables
  • Stage Two: Discussion Points and Variables
  • Stage Three: Discussion Points
  • Interview, January 2011
  • Eugene's Failure Out, Repeat Variations, and Building a Set
 		2021
Eugene Burger: Final Secrets
291
Geoffrey Williams The Trick That Vernon Tried To Explain To Me For A Quarter coin with arrow on it used, together with some improvised counting, to find selection or named prediction
 		June 2022
Elixir (Vol. 3 No. Florida Issue Part Two)
75
Elisav "Biz" Bizau The A.C.A.A.N. Game improvisation game challenge
 		Mar. 2023
The Hermit (Vol. 2 No. 3)
680
Justin Higham The Trick That Can Be Explained Again
Related to 2023
Combined Card Notes
31
Anson Chen The Trick That Can Be Explained Again (Note)
Related to 2023
Additional Card Notes
5
Luke Jermay Game chosen card completes a royal flush from another deck, TTTCBE in which one of five cards can be forced
Related to 2023
From The Shadows
39
Joshua Jay Thoughts on Thought-of Cards comments on improvising, naming, thought-of cards in a memorized deck
  • Riffing in the Particle System
  • One and Done (finding only one card that way)
  • Technique vs. Premise
  • Let’s Riff
    • Marked Riffing
    • Breather Riffing
    • Maximum Contrast
    • Putting It All Together
Related to 2024
Particle System
90
Joshua Jay Presentation for Thought-of Card "my script for riffing with the Particle System"
  • The Sevens
  • Flutter
  • Royal Riffing
  • Particle Pack Riffing
    • Queen of Hearts
    • Five of Hearts
    • Eight of Clubs and Nine of Hearts
Related to 2024
Particle System
99
Joshua Jay Riffing short comment
Related to 2024
Particle System
244