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Outnumbered by John Bannon
This book is all about mathematical magic. Wait! Don’t leave yet! All of the tricks require counting or the addition of numbers that leads to a surprising result, but with everyone carrying a phone in their pocket, they always have access to a calculator so there’s no need to worry about them making mental calculations or anything like that. And while, yes, these tricks are all mathematical, the numbers are often a big focus of the routine so it doesn’t feel like secret math–it’s math that is essential to the magic itself.
The book itself is a gorgeous design that feels almost like you're stepping into the Matrix. There's plenty of color and illustrations which makes the read fun and engaging throughout.
Game Set Match - Two piles of five cards are removed from the deck as well as a handful of pocket change from the magician. One pile of cards is designated as the “heads” pile and the other as the “tails” pile. The spectator tosses the coins and moves cards from the appropriate pile based on how many tails/heads come up. Eventually they end up with 5 pairs on the table. You observe the matches (or lack there of) and then have them take out their calculator and add up the random two digit numbers that have been made by their pairs. The total is equal to the amount of change that has been on the table throughout.
It’s difficult to accurately describe the process in minimal words, but in performance, the process is easy enough to explain even if it’s not totally logical. The whole point is to use the coins to randomize the piles. They fully expect a matching effect, so the prediction of the total will come as a total surprise. Bannon also explains how to adjust the final number. Method wise it’s super simple and self-working. The majority of the presentation is pure smoke and mirrors leaving the actual explanation well hidden in the truly random process.
Blindsided Plus - The participant freely chooses a four digit number and writes it down. The performer tests the participant on their clairvoyance before declaring he has been working on his own clairvoyance and wants to try something. Multiple people shuffle a deck of cards and then the participant removes a chunk of cards from the middle of the deck. The volunteer looks at the cards and tries to “send” them mentally to the performer. The performer somehow gets every card the spectator is holding. As he does, he writes the value of each card on a large pad. The spectator then adds up the values on the pad, and incredibly, the total matches the four digit number they chose at the start.
Again, it’s difficult to get the sense of the effect across in written form, but it plays really quickly. It’s a classic demonstration of “card calling” that many pros have used to end their sets for years combined with Larry Becker’s “Some Total” as an additional kicker. I’ve always been a huge fan of Some Total and have played with several variations over the years. This is a fun take with the cards being used. Similar to the previous routine, the addition of the values will never cross their mind, so the kicker is a huge surprise. They are totally convinced the entire routine is the card calling portion. There is a 12 card set up, and you have to limit the four digit number a little just like the original Some Total, but the minimal work is worth the effect that could fill an entire theatre.
Counter Intuitive - FASDIU, the participant thinks of a number and remembers the card at their thought-of-number. The deck is shuffled and the participant attempts to remove their card with the cards facedown. They get several chances but fail to find their card. Or maybe they didn’t fail after all? They add the value of the cards they removed and count to that location in the deck to discover the selected card at that number.
This uses a classic method of a hands off control to get a mentally selected card into a known position, but it’s smart the way Bannon has routined it because part of the sneaky method is done under cover of the presentation. This requires a little mental math by the performer, but it’s nothing too intense. If I can do it, anyone can.
Psychic EnCounter - This is another method to perform the previous effect.
This method relies on a totally different principle to control the card to a known position. It’s just as effective. It requires a little more work on the performer’s part, but not much. There is a little more for the performer to keep track of mentally as well, but it's a very easy task. I think both methods have their pros and cons, but to me, this one feels just a little more fair; the selection of the card comes from a shuffle rather than a thought of number which feels a little more random to me.
Cosmic Conspiracy - This is a strange one. The performer’s predicted card appears at a participant’s freely chosen thought-of number, and the participant’s mentally-selected card appears at the performer’s predicted number.
This is Bannon’s take of Christian Grace’s “Second Thoughts” trick. It only uses half of the deck which is a little odd, but it’s such a direct prediction and it truly seems like it shouldn’t be possible. The method of controlling their card is done during the reveal of the performer’s predicted card meaning it is 100% justified and hidden within the presentation. It may be the best use of this classic principle ever. There’s none of the awkward, “Tell you my number?” thing. They HAVE to tell you their number so that you can show your card is there. It makes perfect sense. It’s also totally impromptu and doesn’t require a full deck which is a bonus.
The Sum of All Fours - A magic square with cards. The performer removes two cards as a prediction. Sixteen cards are also “randomly” removed. The spectator mixes the cards. They choose which to flip face up and which to leave face down then they use imaginary dice to mix them further. Once it’s all done, the top four cards are laid in a row on the table and the total added. The total matches the total indicated by the two cards placed aside earlier. But that’s not all, the next four cards also total that number. So do the next four. And the next. And the columns, and the diagonals, and the center four, and the quadrants, and the corners, and so on.
This magic square trick is entirely self-working once the 16 cards are in play. It’s a simple take on the classic plot, and in a book about mathematical magic, I would be disappointed if a magic square routine WASN’T included. You’ll have to set up the 16 cards beforehand, but once you’ve done that, the routine practically works itself.
Overall, I was hesitant about a book focusing on mathematical magic, but the routines here are all true workers that could be added into anyone's repertoire even if you hate math. Bannon always has the ability to squeeze an incredible amount of magic out of the smallest of moves/methods and this book is full of that. Blindsided Plus and Cosmic Conspiracy are my standouts. I’ll be using them in one way or another.
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