talkmagic.co.uk

The Magician's Insurance Policy

The Effect
You have a spectator select a card. Then, you mention how the magic might fail, and bring out your insurance policy (or you could just have it displayed during the show). The spectator then returns the card to the deck and shuffles it. You produce a bunch of wrong cards (card sealed in envolope, or reversed in a deck of cards, etc.) After failing to find their card, you unfold the Incurance Policy, and read the conditions. (A little humor in these, you'll see what I mean If you purchase it). You then ask what the card was, then you completely unfold it to reveal a jumbo version of their selected card printed inside.

Cost
$2.75 - $5.98 ($10.00 - Pack of 3 different cards)

Difficulty *1* (My dog could do it. Well if I had a dog.)
1=easy to do, 2=No sleights, but not so easy, 3=Some sleights used,
4=Advanced sleights used, 5=Suitable for experienced magicians only)

Review
I once saw this trick on a televison program and thought it was kind of "cute". This is obviously a great prop/trick. The instructions explain how to do a simple card force, but I like to use my own force to make the card selection look a bit more like the spectator is in control. On most sites you can't "request a insurance policy on a specific card" if you know what I mean, so your stuck with what ever "card" they give you. The one I bought from Hobbytron.com was the King of Hearts. This trick is very amusing and will definetly look great on stage.

Overall
Great for your stage preformances.

UK: http://www.bargainmagic.co.uk/item.php? ... ed+results
US: http://www.hobbytron.net/Magic-Insurace-Policy.html
"Mutipule Policies" (yes, I found one): http://www.magicmethodsonline.com/cmagic.html (Look for "TRIPLE COVERAGE", this is $10.00, includes: King of Hearts, Seven of Clubs, Three of Hearts)


(thanks for the advice mandrake, bananafish, the_mog and seige)

There is another version wich is an update to the original in which the printed card is wrong as well. The magician then mentions something about it being an Australian policy and turns it upside down. When it's turned over the policy number suddenly becomes and instruction to look under the magician's heel, where, lo and behold the chosen card is seen, either in the shoe or on the floor.

This does require a little more skill than the original unless you want to set it up before you go.

This is one of those old time/all time classics which are capable of regular performance and rarely seem to age or go out of fashion. The performer has a lot of room for ad libbing and tailoring the effect to suit their style so will no doubt be around for ever in one form or another!

Just out of interest, you get a free version of this on one of Ammars Easy To Master Card Miracle series. (Number 1 I think).

Thanks, I might actually buy that, can you tell me the which card the policy "protects against"?


For easy referance:
Here is your wonderful reveiw from January: http://www.talkmagic.co.uk/sutra22150.php

This is a US link to that DVD: http://www.magicmgmt.com/magicshop/cardmiracles1.html

I think my card was the 4H, but I wouldn't think that was necessarily the same for them all. To be honest I don't think it matters much, unless you wanted to repeat the trick to the same people, which of course none of us do.

Once you have the policy, it woud be easy enough to knock up a few more with different cards...

This was one of the fisrt things I bought when I started magic. Its a great effect and as was sadi it is probably an all time classic.

However, I hardly ever perform it because personally I find it a little trite. It just seems overly-plausible and therefore implausible for a magician to actually carry around an insurance policy.

Let me get back to you on what mine actually "covers". Generally they are just joky type things that will get a little giggle but that's about it.

GoldFish wrote:However, I hardly ever perform it because personally I find it a little trite. It just seems overly-plausible and therefore implausible for a magician to actually carry around an insurance policy.

Actually, I have to say that the fact that it seems so implausible is what I love about it - because people never think about this sort of trick and if you perform it well, it gets a very good response. The charm is that to the spectator, there is nothing dodgy about the insurance policy, and for you, the problem of getting your 'insurance to work' is quite long ago and in the back of the spectator's mind.

BTW, KODs_righteye, I think that your signature is very good advice!

When I say I find it trite what I mean is that it just comes accross as silly to me and to my audience but I must admit it does get a good reaction.

I value it for its one-off-potential but thats about it. I would simply perform it as a stand alone trick because all my other effects that I perform and the way I perform them don't match up to it at all.

It all depends on your performance style and what you like your spectators to remember/feel about what they saw.

i would say its a good opener which puts the audience at easy for the hard stuff bit like alchopops.

I wouldn't use it as an opener, ideally I'd never do anything that requires a card being selected as an opener. Generally speaking you want to open with something quick and visual to grab the audiences attention. Mind you I'm taking about stage/cabaret, table hopping you could get away with it, but having said that I always followed the same principal when table hopping. Grab their attention with something quick and visual, once you have their attention you can play with them as long as you like untill your big finish.

Oh and another little tip for working cabaret, if you can finish on something big with one or 2 members of the audience on stage it is a bonus. The more people applaud the more they feel they have enjoyed themselves. If you finish big with 2 assistants first they applaude the big finish, then they applaude as spectator 1 returns to his/her seat, then again for spectator 2, and finally more applause for you as you take your bow and say goodnight. You finish with 4 rounds of applause instead of 1 and the applause gets heard by the booker. Hehe I actually learned this years ago as an amatuer entering talent contests that were largely judged on applause, but it carried through to every show I did as a pro.

Mind you I cheat on my finish and get 5 rounds of applause. I finish with the Bill in lemon and as soon as the lemon is cut and the bill is seen sticking out of it the audience applaude, I wait for this applause to die down and then say .. "Don't clap yet.... It may be a forgery!!" I then ask the spectator to remove the bill and check the signature, adding that if it is indeed his signature the audience will go wild with applause. He confirms it and they applaude again. Then I get applause for him, followed by applause for the female spectator (who was used to hold the bill untill it vanished) and finally I take my bow. As yet I have never found an audience that grew tired of clapping

Mark