The

⟭Wallet
Himber
Book
 WORKS BY HARRY LORAYNE
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The Himber Wallet Book

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 The
⟭
Himber Wallet
Book
All You Ever Wanted To Know About
The Himber Wallet—And More

by HARRY LORAYNE
illustrated by ROBERT LORAYNE
design & layout by ANDREW J. PINARD

published by L&L Publishing

© Copyright 1998 by Harry Lorayne, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or
by any means, which are now known or to be invented, without the written per-
mission of the author.

Design & Layout by Andrew J. Pinard

For RICHARD HIMBER—
he was a friend.
 Contents
Foreword ................................................................................................................................. xi
Handling The Himber Wallet .............................................................................. xv

I
Any Bill Vanish .................................................................................................................. 3
Instant Money ..................................................................................................................... 7
Bill-Fooled Bet ................................................................................................................ 12
Money Talks .................................................................................................................... 15
Any Number ..................................................................................................................... 19
Check It Out ..................................................................................................................... 25
Five Star Miracle ........................................................................................................... 27
Straddle Faro
Chainsaw ............................................................................................................................. 32
Interlude ................................................................................................................................. 34
I’ll Tell Your Fortune ................................................................................................. 35
Maybe Twice ................................................................................................................... 40
Cut And Restored Ribbon ....................................................................................... 43
Which Is Where?............................................................................................................ 48
Emergency Wallet ........................................................................................................ 55

II
ESPecially for Bill-Fooled ....................................................................................... 63
DoublESP ........................................................................................................................... 65
Interlude ................................................................................................................................. 70
Second Impression ........................................................................................................ 71

vii
viii The Himber Wallet Book

Choice And Chance ..................................................................................................... 76

Charlier Shuffle
School Of Eventuality ................................................................................................ 82
Do As I Do ......................................................................................................................... 85
Imagination ........................................................................................................................ 89
Magician’s-Choice Force
Angle Fold.......................................................................................................................... 92
Currency Exchange ..................................................................................................... 96
Oh, So Simple Currency Exchange ................................................................... 99
Interlude .............................................................................................................................. 101

III
Mind Probe..................................................................................................................... 105
Stud Poker Prediction ............................................................................................. 107
My Word! ........................................................................................................................ 111
Your Word! ..................................................................................................................... 115
Bill Divin(Ation) ......................................................................................................... 119
The HW Book Test .................................................................................................. 123
Isn’t That Amazing!? ................................................................................................. 129
Interlude .............................................................................................................................. 133
Simple And Silly, But Okay ................................................................................. 134
Think Of A Number ................................................................................................ 139
Count-Revertable Aces .......................................................................................... 143
Special Object ............................................................................................................... 149
Not-So-Special Object ............................................................................................ 152
Better Than A Clipboard ...................................................................................... 154
Interlude .............................................................................................................................. 157

IV
Wide And Free............................................................................................................. 161
To A Startling End .................................................................................................... 164
Reverse Faro Ending
Harry Lorayne ix

Polaroid Money ........................................................................................................... 169

Lucky Seven .................................................................................................................. 173
Signed, Torn, Restored ........................................................................................... 178
For A Really Free Choice ..................................................................................... 182
Luciforce .......................................................................................................................... 189
Interlude .............................................................................................................................. 192
Poker Thing ................................................................................................................... 193
Slitsville ............................................................................................................................ 196
Wild Jokers ..................................................................................................................... 199
Basic Signed Card to Wallet................................................................................ 203
Entre Nous...................................................................................................................... 205
Flip To Clip ................................................................................................................... 210
Clips Trip ........................................................................................................................ 217
Sum Prediction And Book Test ........................................................................ 220

Last Word .......................................................................................................................... 225

 Foreword
R ichard Himber has been dead for over thirty years at the time of
this writing. During the last fifteen years of his life he called me
every morning at about two or three o’clock; that is, in the middle of
the night! He surely was the last of the “characters.” He was either hated
or loved—rarely any in-betweens. I loved him. I’ve written some an-
ecdotes and truisms about him in Apocalypse. I’ll sprinkle a few of those
throughout the book, just so you can get to know the man a little bet-
ter.
The most popular, most widely used (and copied) “magic” wallet
today and for years is and has been the Himber Wallet. When Dick
originally produced it, he asked me to come up with, invent, some
effects or routines utilizing the wallet’s unique capabilities, and to write
a treatise (his word) on the wallet and those effects and routines.
I did just that. The “treatise” was (is) called, BEST OF BILL-
FOOLED, and the production was simply terrible! Yet it was, I be-
lieve and have been told, an important contribution to magic. And parts
of it have been ripped off through the years—my words, with no credit
given. The original has become a collectors’ item; I don’t have a com-
plete original copy myself.
Himber’s preface, in part, said, “Harry Lorayne is a New Yorker
whose life has been linked with magic as long as I can recollect. With-
out question, he is one of the top men in cards.” (No one, including
Dick, claimed that he could write!) He goes on to say that he showed
me a couple of his effects with the wallet, that I got excited about it,
and that I came up with some terrific ideas for it, and so forth. I did
get excited about it, I did come up with some effect ideas, and that’s
why I wrote BEST OF BILL-FOOLED. (The “jump,” the play on
words from billfold to bill-fooled was Dick’s.)

xi
xii The Himber Wallet Book

Years passed, and the Himber Wallet became more and more popu-
lar. So Dick wanted a follow-up item. He came up with the
Trick-A-Rette Case, which was exactly the same as the wallet except
that the original half pocket became a cigarette case that could hold
eight to ten cigarettes. Well, again, he asked me to devise some ef-
fects and routines. I did. (You have to understand that Dick had done
quite a few favors for me.) And, again, he asked me to write a book about
the case and the effects. In 1963, THE HUNDRED DOLLAR BOOK
became available to magicians of the world. It consisted of effects with
cigarettes plus some of the excellent routines from BEST OF BILL-
FOOLED plus some new ideas. The production was better than it had
been for the first book, but it was still pretty bad. It, too, became a
collectors’ item. People have been paying as much as $400 or more
for “clean” copies.
The Trick-A-Rette Case didn’t make it. I haven’t seen one in years.
It was too thick, people were smoking less, and so on. But the original
Himber Wallet has become a standard.
Okay. After much coaxing and even pleading from magicians all
over the world and all through the years, here’s what I’ve done. I’ve
taken the best of the ideas, effects, routines from both original books.
I’ve eliminated the cigarette effects. And, my original thought was to
re-write everything, since I’m a much, much, better writer now than
I was all those years ago. But . . .
I decided to do only some editing. I think, perhaps, the comparison
should exist. Oh, I’ll clear up and clean up some of the really bad
writing, of course, particularly where I feel the teaching is affected by
that bad writing. I’ll also add illustrations. I’ll put some (not all) of my
“new” remarks between parentheses so that you’ll know they’re new.
So this will be a sort of annotated, up-to-date, combined and enlarged
(much enlarged) version of both books—by the original author.
I’ve come up with some (in my opinion) excellent ideas for the
wallet since the two early books. Those, of course, are being written
in full, now. I think you’ll see the difference as you read, I’ve also col-
Harry Lorayne xiii

lected some marvelous ideas from contributors which, of course, are

also being written now.
I have no intention of making this an encyclopedia; I’ll include only
the effects, routines, ideas that I think are worthwhile. Quite frankly,
I would have stolen any good effects, but I couldn’t—they’d already
been stolen from me!
Enjoy.
HARRY LORAYNE
 Handling the Himber Wallet
Y ou bought this book, so you probably know the capabilities, work-
ing, and operation of the Himber Wallet. It may, however, be
wrong for me to make that assumption. You may have purchased this
book and the wallet at the same time. Different people are manufac-
turing and selling Himber Wallets, so they’re not all made exactly alike.
I’ll teach the wallet handlings based on the wallet I’m holding in my
hand as I write. If your wallet is a bit different, all you have to do is change
my instructions to fit, which is easy to do. Let’s also get the terminology
straight. When you open the wallet there’s a half pocket on the left panel,
perhaps marked “Cards”; some may say, “Cards and Stamps,” some aren’t
marked at all. On the right panel there’s a long perpendicular pocket
marked, “Bills,” or, again, it may not be marked at all.
Dick Himber’s original did not have a flap. That was my idea, sug-
gested by the use of a pen, pencil or wand to force the spectator to
open the wallet the way you wanted it to open. Now, some perform-
ers have a problem with the flap. An astute layman might notice that
the flap is not in the same place after you’ve secretly turned over the
wallet. (Of course, if the flap starts on the bottom at the outer end,
you can turn the wallet end for end then side for side, or vice versa,
and the flap would still be on bottom, but at the inner end. Try it, and
see. It’s an extra turn, but that may work for you.)
A pencil, pen or wand placed into the wallet to force a spectator to
open to that side serves the same purpose. (This will be mentioned in
the text wherever I feel it warrants a mention.) The pencil must pro-
trude from an end (crossing the horizontal binding near the outer end)
in order for the idea to work.
I’ll use a flapped wallet only for early illustrations because that may
make it easier for you to understand the way the wallet is facing. So,

xv
xvi The Himber Wallet Book

the terminology: When I write “side,” I’m referring to the open wallet.
There are two sides; a different side shows according to which way
you open. “Panel” is the left or right of that open wallet—the half
pocket is one panel (usually at left), the long pocket is the other. Okay?
The basic secret of the wallet is that it can open in one of two ways.
(Really one of four ways, but bear with me.) Hold the closed wallet on
your left palm, flap (if you have one) outward and on the bottom panel.
Reach over (to the left) with your right thumb and contact the left long
side of the upper panel of the wallet. Open it to the right as if turning
the page of a book (Figure 1). Close the wallet.
Now hold the wallet on your right palm. Reach over with your left
thumb to contact the right long side of the upper panel. Open it to the
left. It still looks as in the last illustration except that the flap is now
on the right. What’s happening as you open one way and then the other
is: The half pocket (which is what I’ll call it from here on in) on the left
is a different half pocket each time, according to the direction in which
you open. The long pocket (that’s what I’ll call it), on the right, also looks
the same, but isn’t. It’s the “shared” pocket; it’s the other side of the

Figure 1
Harry Lorayne xvii

same pocket that shows, again, according to which side the wallet is
opened.
Try this: Put a playing card into the half pocket and an open $1 bill
into the long pocket. (Bills are usually inserted short ends up/down,
to just about fill the length of the long pocket. A slice of the bill’s left
long side protrudes.) Now close the wallet and open it the other way.
The card is (apparently) gone; the bill is still seen, but it’s the bill’s
other side! Do this a few times and you’ll start to visualize the work-
ing of the wallet.
A better idea is to fold the bill in half, end to end, reverse (green)
side out. It then appears that it’s the same side that’s seen. There’s an
interesting way (or two) of doing this in Angle Fold, in this book. A
double-sided photograph (same photo on each side) would do, as would
a double-faced card with the same card on each side. Another solu-
tion is to place back to back two bills, two (duplicate) cards, two pho-
tos, two business cards, etc. Slide them, aligned, into the long pocket—
a “slice” protruding. There are, of course, some effects wherein this
isn’t viable. You’ll see that as we go along.
It would be best if the opening of the long (shared) pocket was at
center of that panel, or just a bit wider. Most wallets, however, are cut
so that the pocket is about three-quarters of the panel’s width. Be aware
that if you leave, say, a playing card protruding from that pocket a
half inch or more, it may not show when you open to the wallet’s other
side! Leave a narrow slice protruding, perhaps a quarter inch or less—
and it works better! You’ll have to play with it. In my instructions I
usually say to leave a half inch or more protruding. As usual, change
my instructions to make them work for you. Most of the illustrations
will show the more-usual wide long pocket.
I’ve mentioned two ways to open the wallet. The other two ways
are exactly as explained except that you start with the wallet face down,
flap on upper panel. As you get into the text, you’ll see the impor-
tance of this concept, and the importance of the fact that the reverse
side of what’s in the long pocket shows when the wallet is opened the
other way.
xviii The Himber Wallet Book

Of course, the basic idea is to secretly turn over the wallet. (End for
end may be all right occasionally, but side for side is the better way to
go.) This is easily done during a gesture as you patter, as you table
the wallet, and so forth. And, with proper handling and timing, just
placing the wallet from hand to hand does it. See Cut And Restored
Ribbon, Which Is Where?, and DoublESP for other good ways to se-
cretly turn over the wallet. Many times, as you go through the book,
I’ll tell you to secretly turn over the wallet. That’s fine; but sometimes
turning it over isn’t necessary. Opening it from the other side may
accomplish what you want to accomplish. And, opening the wallet via
the other side is not something that laymen usually notice.
I’ve taught you to open from either direction with a thumb only to
make the “operation” of the wallet clear for you. Obviously, you can
use your fingers, too. So, if the wallet is lying on your left palm, you
can open it one way with your right thumb (flip upper panel to the
right); and the other way with your right fingertips (flip upper panel
to the left).
Another way to turn over the wallet is via the through-the-fist
(“hand” in this case) flourish. Of course, it’d have to fit in the routine.
In most cases, you don’t want to bring unnecessary attention to the
wallet. It would be used as a magical gesture. There are two ways to
do the flourish; one does not turn over the wallet; you’d show the same
side when you open it after the flourish. The other way does turn over
the wallet. Both ways look the same (or should) to the onlookers.
Non-turnover: The wallet rests on your left fingers, not on the palm
(Figure 2). Close those fingers flipping the wallet over onto the palm
(Figure 3) as you turn the hand palm down toward you (Figure 4).
Your right hand approaches, grasps the wallet’s outer-left corner and
swivels the wallet to the right—out of the left hand. The side of the
left little finger is the pivot point. (Figure 5, in progress.)
Now, the similar handling that does turn over the wallet. Instead of
it lying on your fingers, as in Figure 2, it lies on your left palm. Close
your fingers onto it (it doesn’t flip over), turn the left hand palm down
(as in Figure 4), and swivel out the wallet with your right hand, as in
Harry Lorayne xix

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 5. There should be some patter after this—for “time misdirec-

tion”—before opening the wallet. And remember, use this only where
it fits, sparingly, as a magical gesture.
It’s important for you to realize that the wallet should never (at least,
almost never) be “stressed.” You don’t want to make it appear as if the
wallet does the magic—you do that. (I’ll probably mention this again,
xx The Himber Wallet Book

Figure 4

Figure 5

once or twice, as you go through the book.) The wallet is a “conven-

ience.” Handle it that way—try to get it out of the “field of action”
before the effect reaches its finale. That is important.
Pay envelopes “work” well with the Himber Wallet. Double pay
envelopes enable you to prepare more predictions (which, as I’ll re-
Harry Lorayne xxi

mind you a few more times, is the basic “nature” of the Himber Wal-
let—it enables you to do many prediction effects). There are two ways
to “double” a pay envelope—either insert a cut-to-fit piece of heavy
paper, which gives you two compartments, or glue two envelopes back
to back, which also gives you two compartments—an envelope on each
side. Interesting thought: if you insert a piece of paper into two enve-
lopes, and glue them back to back, you’ll have room for four predic-
tions. Use double-sided cards, and there’s room for eight predictions—
that makes eight or sixteen, if the same “package” is on the wallet’s other
side! But, I’ll explain better ways for multiple prediction choices, without
envelopes, later on in the book.
 ⟭
I
Any Bill Vanish
Instant Money
Bill-Fooled Bet
Money Talks
Any Number
Check It Out
Five Star Miracle
Chainsaw
Interlude
I’ll Tell Your Fortune
Maybe Twice
Cut And Restored Ribbon
Which Is Where?
Emergency Wallet
 Any Bill Vanish
I f memory serves correctly—and my memory usually does—this is
the first effect I came up with when Himber originally asked me to
invent some effects and routines for his wallet. It’s simple but, in my
opinion, pretty strong. It’s also the first time I thought of the pencil
idea which, also in my opinion, is quite a useful idea. It’s explained in
the text just about as I originally wrote it in THE HUNDRED DOL-
LAR BOOK. (It’s also mentioned/suggested in other effects.)
You’ll also want to use a Himber Wallet that enables you to place
a bill in the long pocket on one side so that the other surface of the
extended part of the same bill shows when the wallet is opened to the
other side. “Angle Fold” (later in the book) is an excellent method for
this. Check it out. . . .

This is a quick effect that I think will give you satisfaction when per-
forming it for laymen. It’s the kind of thing to do for someone once,
and he or she will talk about it for some time to come. All you need is
the Himber Wallet and a spectator who has two bills of different de-
nominations.
Open the wallet to show it empty and then borrow two bills—a $1
bill and a bill of any other denomination. Assume you get a $1 bill and
a $10 bill. Fold the $1 bill in half, end to end, and obviously (openly)
place it into the long pocket on the right side of the open wallet. This
folded bill should protrude from the left side of the pocket, perhaps
half an inch or so. The larger ($10) bill is not folded; it is placed as is
into the half pocket on the left side of the open wallet (Figure 6).
Let your spectators see the bills plainly, then close the wallet. Pat-
ter for a moment. (As years went by I began to refer to this concept as
“time misdirection.”) Recapitulate—“Two of your bills have been

3
4 The Himber Wallet Book

placed into this wallet,” and so forth. As you talk, if you like, you can
open the wallet to its other side, as if you’re checking. Then, if you have
a pencil handy (pen or small wand), open the wallet just wide enough
to place the pencil inside. Close the wallet around the pencil. Now
you can hand the wallet to a spectator (or table it). He’ll be able to
open it only that one way because of the pencil! (Figure 7. This was
one of my contributions to the handling of the Himber Wallet; tuck-
ing in the flap serves the same purpose. Remember that the pencil must
protrude from the wallet’s end in order for the idea to work.)
(Of course, if your wallet has that flap the pencil idea is no longer
valid. I, personally, still use it when it fits; I simply ignore the flap. You’ll
have to decide which to use, or if you want to use the idea at all.)
Hand the wallet to the spectator and let him hold it. Obviously, if
you’re not using the pencil or flap idea, you’ll hold the wallet your-
self. Make sure your hands are seen to be otherwise empty.
The trick, of course, is all done. What remains is the buildup. “As
you know, there are two bills in that wallet—a one-dollar bill and a
ten-dollar bill. Would you name the one you want me to do the trick
with?” The larger denomination bill is the one usually indicated, al-
though it doesn’t matter which it is, as you’ll see. Assume the specta-
tor says, “The ten-dollar bill.”

Figure 6
Harry Lorayne 5

You say, “Fine; that’s the one I will cause to disappear!” Do your
magical gesture (snap your fingers) over the wallet. Or do whatever it
is you do when you’re about to make something disappear.
“That’s all there is to it—it’s done; your ten-dollar bill is gone! Open
the wallet and see for yourself.” If you’re holding the wallet yourself,
change the patter accordingly.
Because of the pencil (if you are using the idea), he must open the
wallet the right way, and all he’ll see staring back at him is the $1 bill.
Take the wallet from him, give him back that $1 bill, and put the wallet
away, saying, “There’s your remaining bill—and thank you very
much.” (Act as if you’re about to go into your next effect.)
When he displays a bit of concern over his lost $10 bill, give him
one of your own. (Please—do not open the wallet to the other side to
get his original $10 bill!) Thank him again.
This may read like a simple and obvious thing, but it really is a
strong effect. Now, if the spectator indicates the $1 bill instead of the

Figure 7
6 The Himber Wallet Book

$10 bill, the trick is the same. Your patter simply changes to fit. As
soon as the bill is named, say, “Good—that’s the one I’ll leave for you.
The $10 bill is for me. Watch!” End the effect as described, making
your patter fit, of course.

Afterthoughts: The same effect can be done with two playing cards, if
the card on the right—in the long pocket—is a double-faced card. It
must, of course, have the same card showing on each surface. The card
placed on the left is a regular card, since that’s the card that will “dis-
appear.”
 Instant Money
I don’t recall which was Himber’s favorite effect with the wallet—
this one, or Polaroid Money, taught later on in this book. I do know
that this was one of his favorites. They’re both excellent routines if, as
always, they’re well presented.

Here’s what you’ll need: Three fairly new $1 bills, two $10 bills, one
$20 bill and three blank checks that are the same size as the bills. If
your checks are a trifle larger, they can be trimmed to size. You’ll also
need some paper money from a foreign country, or from one or two
different countries. Four or five such bills will do. One of these should
be wider than the American bills, and one should be the same size as
the American bills; the remaining one or two foreign bills must be
either the same size as the American bills or, preferably, smaller. A
supply of rubber cement and you’re ready to prepare.
Paste a blank check onto each $1 bill so that the check itself shows
on one side and Washington shows on the other. You end up with three
of these. Now paste one of the same-size foreign bills onto the back of
one of the $10 bills. If you have a foreign bill that’s the same length as
the American bills, but wider, paste that onto the back of the $20 bill.
And then fold the foreign bill back on itself so that the width is now
the same as the $20 bill. If you don’t have a wider foreign bill then, of
course, one of the same size will do.
Place the three blank checks, check surfaces upward, into the
half pocket on the left panel of the open wallet. Place the
ungimmicked $10 bill onto the table, then put the gimmicked $10
bill, foreign bill side up, onto it. Place the $20 bill, also foreign bill
side up, onto these.

7
8 The Himber Wallet Book

Place the remaining one or two foreign bills into the pocket formed
by the fold of the top foreign bill. I.e., open the fold, put the bill(s) in,
then close the fold. You should now have all foreign money showing,
except for the $10 bill at bottom of the packet.
Turn over this packet. If you’ve done it all correctly, you now have
all American money showing, except for the lowermost foreign bill(s);
the top $10 bill can be shown on both sides. Place this packet into the
half pocket of the other side of the wallet. That is, close the wallet then
open it the other way so as to expose the other side’s empty half pocket.
Insert these bills into the half pocket, American money side up. Close
the wallet. You’re ready to perform.
Here’s how Richard Himber used to present it, including the pat-
ter. After you’re familiar with it, you can change the patter to fit your
own personality.
Borrow a $1 bill from a spectator. Fold it in half, end to end, back of
bill outward. Open the wallet to the side the checks are in, and place
the borrowed, folded, bill into the long pocket on the right. Leave a
“slice” of the folded bill’s left side protruding. I want to be sure you
understand just how to place that borrowed bill. It’s inserted to center
of the long pocket so that that slice of its left long side protrudes. You’ll
see part of the digit 1 and either a part of the phrase “one dollar” or
“The United States of America.” A part of one or the other of the two
phrases will show, according to which way you open the wallet. Try

Figure 8
Harry Lorayne 9

it once or twice and you’ll see what I mean (Figure 8). See also Angle
Fold, in this book.

Patter: “I’ve developed a method that enables me to make a one dollar

bill disappear instantly. Keep an eye on your bill, and watch it go.”
Take out the three checks, spread them so that your spectators can
see them all clearly. Be careful not to flash the reverse sides. “These
checks may get in my way, but I’ll try anyway.”
Leave the checks outside the pocket and close the wallet. Do your
magical gesture. “Now, your dollar bill is gone.” Open the wallet so
that the three $1 bills (reverse side of the three checks) show. If you
keep in mind just where and how everything is lying in the wallet,
you’ll have no trouble opening it the right way each time. A bit of
practice may be worthwhile here. If you’ve followed my instructions,
the wallet is opened now just as it was opened before. Obviously, if
you place the checks outside the pocket, but still on the left side—
closing the wallet by flipping the left side closed, automatically turns
over the checks. (Of course, placing the checks on the right panel and
flipping that closed onto the left panel, accomplishes the same thing.)
This idea is used throughout the book.
Okay; you’ve just opened the wallet, and three $1 bills show. “Oops,
I got rid of those checks, and I have some singles instead, but your
one dollar bill is still here.” Show the three $1 bills by spreading them,
of course. The folded borrowed bill is still where it originally was. Place
the bills back into the open wallet’s half pocket, and close the wallet.
“Wait, I’ll make your bill disappear right now.” Magical gesture.
Open the wallet so that the large denomination bills show (open it
the other way). Take them out, spreading them. Don’t spread all
the way to expose the bottom foreign bill(s). Casually turn over the
top $10 bill so that both sides are seen. “Well now, look at that! I’m
doing much better; I have forty or fifty dollars here. But your bill is
still here.” That bill is still where it was put originally, so far as your
spectators are concerned.
Leave the large bills outside the pocket on the left panel. Flip over
this panel to close the wallet. “Well, now I know I’m gonna make your
10 The Himber Wallet Book

bill disappear into thin air!” Open the wallet to show the foreign money
(reverse side of the large denomination American bills). The wallet is
opened as before—the bills are automatically turned over.
“Foreign money! Now what in the world am I going to do with this?”
As you talk, spread the foreign bills, and casually turn over some of
them. If you’re using one wider bill as suggested, here’s the reason for
it. As you open the wallet, open its fold with your thumb or fingers.
This will throw off anyone who is thinking of double-sided bills, since
he will see one bill that’s quite wider than the American bills. Careful
not to flash the bottom $10 bill.
Act as if you’re fed up. Take out the borrowed bill and hand it back
to its owner. “Here, I give up. I guess I’m not as good as I thought I
was. I just can’t make that bill disappear!”

Afterthoughts: I’ve given you the basic routine and a general idea of the
patter. And if you can, you should act all the way through as if all you
really want to do is cause the borrowed bill to disappear. Act as sur-
prised as your spectators are (or should be) at the other manifesta-
tions. Of course, it should all be done, sort of, tongue in cheek.
There’s really only one time during the routine when the wallet is
opened differently. That’s when you change the $1 bills into the larger
denomination bills. At that point you should be talking and gesturing
with the wallet to cover the turning of same.
The other changes are just a matter of turning over the bills, not
the wallet itself, as I’ve explained.
The strong point of the routine is that the borrowed bill is really
seen each time the wallet is opened. Actually, it’s the other side that’s
in view at the end, so be sure that the bill is folded so that it looks the
same from either direction. The phrase “one dollar” does change. Don’t
hold the wallet stationary long enough for anyone to read that phrase,
or to let the phrase really register. Or, partially cover the phrase with
your fingers or with the other bills as you go through the routine.
This, incidentally, works just fine with one or two of my Himber
Wallets. It doesn’t work “just fine” with one or two others because their
Harry Lorayne 11

long pockets are cut too wide. If this is the case with yours, a bit of
adjustment (less of the bill exposed, perhaps) may be necessary. And,
as suggested, check out Angle Fold.
If you want to use a gambling theme, gambling patter, here’s a
thought for you. Instead of the borrowed $1 bill, use a double facer
with the AS on both faces. (Or, put a face-up regular AS into each long
pocket, properly aligned.) The patter theme might be that you always
carry this extra card to assure that you win. Go through the routine.
At first, you lose—all the cash you received for your checks has
dwindled down to $3.00.
Say that you utilized the extra AS and now you’ve worked the $3.00
up to $40.00 or $50.00. Finally, there was a millionaire from (name
the country of the money you’re using) at the game and you won all
his money, too. This is strong because of the fact that the AS is seen
each time the wallet is opened.
Practice the routine, then perform it. (Originally, in THE HUN-
DRED DOLLAR BOOK, I wrote that the routine is worth much more
than what you paid for the book and the wallet. I’m not sure I’d still
feel that way. You just may find other routines in this book that you
like even better!)
 Bill-Fooled Bet
T his is a prediction effect, and a fooler it is. Not only that, but you’ll
make a dollar each time you do it—if you’re that type and if you
have trusting friends.
Write (don’t type) the following prediction on a piece of paper—
YOU WILL DEFINITELY SELECT THE NINE OF HEARTS,
AND YOU’VE LOST A DOLLAR! Fold the paper and put it into a
small pay envelope. Tuck in the flap of the envelope, place a 9H face
down on top of the envelope. Then put the 9H and the envelope into
the half pocket of the wallet so that when you open the wallet to that
side, the card will be face down on top of the envelope.
Close the wallet. Now if you have the matching deck (matching the
“set” 9H), another pay envelope, another piece of paper, and a $50 bill
or $100 bill, you can go into your performance.
Select a spectator who you think won’t be too hesitant about taking
a $1 bill out of his pocket. Hand the deck to him and tell him to shuffle
it thoroughly. Then instruct him to spread the face-down deck on the
table. Tell him that in a moment you will have him select any one of
these 52 cards.
Suggested patter: “My friend, you have a wonderfully receptive
mind. I find that I can reach right into yours with mine and read your
thoughts before you yourself know them. Sound impossible? Well, I’m
so sure about it that I will bet this one-hundred dollar bill against your
one dollar bill!”
Somehow, make him reach into his pocket and take out a dollar.
Put your $100 bill and his $1 bill together. Fold them once, together,
end to end. Open the wallet so that the empty side shows and place
the bills into the long pocket on the right. Leave them protruding (at
the left) about half an inch or so.

12
Harry Lorayne 13

Now say that you’ll write a prediction that no one is to see. Pick up
the piece of paper and write the same prediction as the one you pre-
pared, naming any card other than the 9H. Fold the prediction the same
way as the prepared one, and put it into the pay envelope. Tuck in
the flap, and place the envelope into the half pocket. Be sure that the
flap is positioned correctly so that it looks just as the prepared enve-
lope when the other side is opened. Leave the open wallet on the table.
Tell your spectator that he is to push any card he likes out of the
tabled face-down spread. Make a big to-do about the free choice. When
he pushes out a card, pick it up and place it on top of the envelope in
the open wallet’s half pocket. If you feel you can get away with a peek
at this card as you pick it up, do so. If it happens to be the card you’ve
just named in your prediction, end right there, of course. Just turn it
face up, hand him the envelope and let him read the prediction out
loud. However, if it isn’t the card you named, or if you don’t want to
bother with the peek—just continue . . .
Place the card face down onto the envelope that’s in the wallet’s
half pocket (Figure 9) and close the wallet. Say, “What? You think I’ve
done something with the money? No, it’s still here.” Open the wallet
to show the other (prepared) side, the 9H side. The bills are still where
they’re supposed to be. Point to them, and say, “You see, I wouldn’t
kid you for the world. But if you still don’t trust me, why don’t you

Figure 9
14 The Himber Wallet Book

initial (or sign, if you like) the envelope, and the card too, if that makes
you happy.”
Let him initial or sign, since the switch has already been accom-
plished. Close the wallet again. Talk a bit about how difficult this is,
and about the great odds you’re giving him, and that perhaps you
shouldn’t have, and so on. And, finally, open the wallet to the initialed
(or signed) card and envelope.
Let the spectator verify his initials or signature. Let him turn up
the 9H, and then let him take your prediction out of the envelope and
read it out loud. It’s correct, of course. “If I keep this up, I’ll be able to
quit my job next week! Do you have any friends who’d like to see some
magic?”

Afterthoughts: This, of course, makes use of the concept already dis-

cussed. The fact that one side of the two folded bills is seen no matter
which side of the wallet is opened.
(The original write-up ended with this “cleverness”: “Need I sug-
gest that you return the dollar? If you don’t return the dollars you make
doing this effect, 10% can be mailed to me—Harry Lorayne, care of
Dick Himber.”)
 Money Talks
F or this fooler you’ll need six regular pay envelopes, two $1 bills, a
$5 bill and your Himber Wallet. The bills should be of medium
age, not too old and not too crisp. Memorize the serial number of the
$5 bill. (This isn’t crucial, but it’s one of my little “touches.” It’s strong,
as you’ll see.)
Place each of the bills, folded in quarters or halves (according to
the size of the envelopes you’re using), into one of the envelopes. You
can either seal each envelope or just tuck in the flaps. Remember to
do the same during performance.
Place these three envelopes into the half pocket at the left of the
open Himber Wallet so that the one containing the $5 bill is on top.
(It can actually be at any position as long as you remember what that
position is.) You’re ready to perform.
Ask any two spectators to each take out a $1 bill. Ask a third spec-
tator to take out a $5 bill. Turn away, saying that you don’t want to
see the bills. Hand the empty pay envelopes to them and ask them to
fold their bills into quarters or halves (to match your “set” bills) and
to place them into the envelopes. Have them seal the flaps, or tuck
them in.
Now let one of the assistants collect the three envelopes and shuffle
or mix them so that nobody could possibly know the location of any
of the bills. Take them from him, show the wallet to be empty by
opening it to the empty side, and place the envelopes into the half
pocket at the left. Be sure that the upper envelope is facing the same
way as is the upper envelope in the hidden packet on the wallet’s other
side.
Close the wallet as you patter about the fact that nobody knows
which envelope contains which bill—but that money sometimes talks

15
16 The Himber Wallet Book

to you, and that you may be able to tell, without even looking. As you
mention the envelopes, open the wallet in an indicatory way to, sort
of, assure the onlookers that they’re still where they’re supposed to
be. Of course, you open the wallet to show your original set-up enve-
lopes. If you like, you can let your spectators initial, or sign, the three
envelopes at this point.
Suggestion: Use the pencil (pen or wand) idea. Once you’ve opened
the wallet to expose your original envelopes, you can put the pencil
or pen into the wallet, and close the wallet around that pencil or pen.
So, let him initial or sign, then simply leave the pencil inside (Figure
10); close the wallet around it. (Look back to the second illustration
in Any Bill Vanish.)
Patter for another moment or two, then ask the spectator to open
the wallet and to take out any one of the envelopes. Because of the
pencil (or flap) he can open the wallet only to your original stack. Keep
your eye on him and be sure you can see which envelope he takes. As
soon as he has one in his hands, turn away as you ask him to hold the

Figure 10
Harry Lorayne 17

envelope to his forehead. This is not only for presentation/showman-

ship; it also keeps his hand busy, so that he can’t examine the wallet,
should he have a mind to do so.
If he’s taken any but the top envelope, say, “That’s one of the
singles—return it to this gentleman (owner of a $1 bill), please.” Then
ask him to remove another envelope.
Again, watch which one he takes, and so on. You want to leave him
holding the envelope that contains the $5 bill for last—so that you have
a “finale” for the effect. Work accordingly; if he should take that one
the second time, say, “Aha; I believe that’s the five-dollar bill. Please
give the other envelope back to this trusting gentleman (owner of the
second $1 bill.)”
If he takes the top envelope the first time, you might say something
like—“You’re either wealthy, or will be soon, because you instinctively
went for the envelope that contains the larger-denomination bill.
Please return the other two to their owners.”
Suffice it to say that he is left holding to his forehead the “$5 bill”
envelope. The two $1 bills are back with their owners. Take the wal-
let from him, as you say, “Now, since most people don’t trust magi-
cians, particularly after some of the minor miracles I’ve shown you
here (this is right out of the original—I think I’d probably suggest
slightly different patter today!), I know you want to see if I m correct.
So please open the envelope—and see for yourself.” Casually pocket
the wallet as you speak.
Keep your eye on him, and just as he’s about to extract the bill, say—
dramatically—“Wait, wait . . . don’t let me see it yet! That five-dollar
bill told me where it was hiding, and now it is still talking! All right,
take out the bill, but don’t let me see it. Look at the serial number,
will you?” Do a bit of acting here, go into your “concentrating” stance.
“If I ‘hear’ it correctly, that bill is telling me that its serial number is
C-9-3-6-3-0-6-3-8-E.” Slowly give the serial number that you previ-
ously memorized! “Is that right? Did I hear it correctly? Thank you
very much for helping me prove that money does talk!”
18 The Himber Wallet Book

Afterthoughts: I did change some of the syntax, but I left quite a bit of
the original, even though it’s not the best writing. As I’ve told you, I
wanted to leave the “comparison.” I’d never, however, allow anything
to remain that confused the teaching (within any of the effects or rou-
tines). I think this one is clear enough. And, it’s a good effect.
The pencil (pen or wand) idea is fine. If you don’t want to use that,
here’s one other suggestion for a simple way to secretly turn over the
wallet. The closed wallet is on your left palm. With your right thumb,
open its upper panel to the right. It remains (open) on your left hand.
Insert whatever needs to be inserted into the left panel’s half pocket.
Then, in a casual and fluid action, your left thumb closes the left panel
onto the right panel. Your right hand is there to take the closed wallet
and table it.
That’s it. When ready to open the wallet again—after only a bit of
time misdirection—pick it up with your left hand, getting it onto the
palm—and open it exactly as before (right thumb opens upper panel to
the right). It’s good because it opens the same way—that registers sub-
liminally. Don’t ever mention it, of course.
Keep this in mind—it fits well within some of the other effects in
this book.
 Any Number
F or some unknown reason I did not include this in the original HUN-
DRED DOLLAR BOOK. So it wasn’t re-written at all. What fol-
lows is almost exactly the way it appeared in BEST OF BILL-FOOLED
without, of course, the cross-outs and overstruck letters. It shows clearly
how young I was. I don’t think I’d say “this is for the sleight-of-hand
enthusiast” or make an issue about a “good mental exercise” today! . . .

This is for the sleight-of-hand enthusiast, and for those who do not
mind taking a bit of a chance. There’s not much chance involved, re-
ally, as long as you’re proficient with the jog (overhand) shuffle and
the double cut. There are other moves that’d serve the purpose, of
course—up to you.
I like the effect because: 1) it’s bold; 2) it’s a good mental exercise
for the magician; 3) it looks like a miracle or impossibility ninety per-
cent of the time; and 4) you use any deck plus the Himber Wallet.
This is it: Assume your wallet is set to show either the 2S, 4S, 8H,
or 10H. (I’ve had these particular double facers, 2S/8H and 4S/10H,
in one of my wallets for years. So I’ll use those cards as examples
throughout the book. See the Afterthoughts.)
During a previous trick set up the four regular cards like so: Place
the 2S fourth from the top; the 4S eighth from top; the 8H twelfth,
and the 10H sixteenth from top. (Obviously now, I would have the
four cards on top and either do two in faros, or two straddle faros and
shuffle three cards to top, and the cards are at position. The straddle
faro is explained and illustrated in Five Star Miracle.)
Do some jog shuffles (one or two will suffice), keeping the top six-
teen cards intact. Now place the wallet onto the table, saying that you
placed one card in it earlier in the evening.

19
20 The Himber Wallet Book

There are two ways to complete the effect—one utilizing sleight

of mind, the other—sleight of hand. You may be pleased to know that
from my experience (which wasn’t very much in those days!), in most
cases, you won’t have to touch the deck at all. In the other cases, a
little sleight of mind will eliminate all sleight of hand, and you still
won’t have to touch the deck. Here’s what I mean:
Place the face-down deck near the wallet. Say to one of your spec-
tators, “I’m going to ask you to give me any number between one and
twenty. And make it difficult for me in any way you like.” This re-
mark about making it difficult does, for some reason, make most people
say “12” or “16.” I don’t know why, but it’s so. Try it and see. (I use
this idea—getting a spectator to say “12” or “16” to this day. You may
feel safer if you ask for a number between ten and twenty.)
Now, here’s your situation: eight numbers that he may choose take
you off the hook immediately. Because—4, 8, 12 and 16 are all right
on the nose; 3, 7, 11 and 15 are just as good, because you’d have your
spectator count that number from the top, and use the next card. So
the problem is obvious. No matter what number you’re given it must
logically be brought to either 3, 4, 7, 8, 11, 12, 15 or 16 for the
sleight-of-mind method. It’s a simple matter.
Let’s assume that the spectator says “thirteen.” Without blinking an
eye, and as if you intended to ask for two numbers all along, say, “Fine;
you’ve given me a fairly high number. Now would you name any low
one.”
And no matter what number he gives you, you can bring it to lo-
cate one of your key cards! Let me show you. If he says “one” well,
you naturally(?) are supposed to subtract the smaller from the larger
(I’d originally written “the smallest from the largest.” That’s incor-
rect. I simply couldn’t let that go by!) which gives you 12! If the num-
ber is two, do the same thing to get 11, or add the two numbers. That
gives you 15, which is just as good.
If he says “three”—no problem. Add 3 to 13 to arrive at 16. For 4,
you may think you’re stuck. No, you’re not. Simply tell him that you
are going to bring the two numbers he selected to a single digit. Add
Harry Lorayne 21

the 1 and 3 in 13 to get 4. Add this 4 to the 4 he just indicated, which

brings you to 8! Of course, you could have done the same with just the
13 he originally gave you to arrive at 4, one of the vital numbers. (If I
wrote this from scratch today I’d mention that first—if you hear “13,”
immediately do the “single digit” ploy.)
If he had said “five,” you’d subtract from 13, to arrive at 8. And so
on. So, no matter which two numbers you get you can always arrive
logically to one of the eight vital ones.
The secret is to practice a bit so that you can do it immediately after
the second number is named. Do it casually (and without hesitation),
always as if that is what you intended to do all along. As I said, the
beauty of this is that ninety percent of the time, you can finish with
having the spectator name only one number.
To end: When you’ve arrived at the number, make a remark about
his free choice of a number and that you will not touch the deck at all.
Have him count to the number (or, to the number, and use the next
card) and have him place that card face down onto the table.
You know what the card is, of course (because you’ve memorized
which vital card lies where), so say, “Remember that I had one card in
this wallet from the beginning. (Open the wallet so that the correct
card shows.) It happens to be the (2S, 4S, 8H or 10H). Would you please
turn over the card that you selected?”
When he does, pick it up, place it alongside its duplicate in the
wallet, name the card again, and say, “I don’t know how you did it;
you sure did fool me!” or something to that effect (Figure 11).
Don’t let the length of this explanation deter you. It’s a strong card
effect. I’m sure you’ll agree after you’ve tried it.
For the sleight-of-hand expert, I’m sure your method is obvious.
(Interesting that I’d have written this, even that long ago. “Expert” is
certainly not essential.) Set the cards the same way; false shuffle as
you ask for a number. If he names one of the eight vital numbers, fin-
ish your shuffle and table the deck. If he names any other number, you
never have to add or remove more than one or two cards to, or from,
the top.
22 The Himber Wallet Book

If he names 17, simply shuffle one card onto top, injog the next,
shuffle off and break at injog; shuffle to break, and throw on top. That
takes no more than a second or less, and you continue to the end of
the effect—the original 16th card is now at his number—17.
If he says “14,” you could remove one or two cards via a double
cut, or whatever. If you remove one, have him count to 14, and use
the next card. If you remove two, the count of 14 will bring him right
to the original 16th card. Or, you could have added two cards to top;
then the count of 14 will bring him to the original 12th card.
I don’t think I have to go into any more detail over this. A bit of
practice and a bit of thinking will always enable you to end the effect
satisfactorily. When you want to remove cards from top you can use
a tabled slip cut. Say #10 is named. You could say, “Fine; ten is what
we’ll use, and to prove that this is strictly in the lap of the gods (yes, I
wrote that originally!) I’ll even cut the deck.” Do a slip cut, which loses
the top card to center. (Figure 12, a slip cut in progress.) Now the
spectator counts off ten cards, and you use the next one.

Afterthoughts: If you don’t mind taking more time for the set-up, you
can arrange it so that twelve numbers will be “vital” ones. Same set-up

Figure 11
Harry Lorayne 23

but put the mates of each key card right on top of the key card. I.e.,
place the 2C third from top; the 4C seventh from top; the 8D elev-
enth, and the 10D fifteenth. So, from top down:

XX2C, 2S, XX4C, 4S, XX8D, 8H, XX10D, 10H

Now, if “2” is called—you’d have the spectator count off two cards,
and use the next one, and so on. The ending is the same except that,
in this case, you would show a 2C and 2S in the wallet, which is just as
good, just as effective, for the layman.
I never use this method because of the lengthy set-up, and because
I feel I can do it just as well with only the 4-card set-up. I just wanted
to give you the choice.

)_

Compare this with Five Star Miracle. It’s conceivable that I didn’t use
it in the original HUNDRED DOLLAR BOOK because, at that time,
I thought they were too similar and perhaps that Five Star Miracle
had some better ideas. Now, after all these years, I know it’s better to
let you decide.
And although I did go through this at the beginning of this book, let
me make sure you understand the wallet openings to show one of four
cards. In the original HUNDRED DOLLAR BOOK, I discussed this
in Five Star Miracle. But since it’s used here, I’ll discuss it here, and
don’t have to in Five Star Miracle.

Figure 12
24 The Himber Wallet Book

Using the same double facers, 2S/8H and 4S/10H, 2S surface up-
ward on one side of the wallet, and the 4S upward on the other side:
Hold the wallet on your right palm and open it with your left thumb
to show the 2S. Hold it on your left palm and open with your right
thumb to show the 4S. Turn over the wallet and, holding it on your left
palm, open with the right thumb to show the 8H. Hold the wallet on
your right palm and open with your left thumb to show the 10H.
Memorize the cards you’re using and how to open the wallet in order
to display the one you want without fidgeting.
 Check It Out
T his idea did not appear in either of the original books I wrote on
the Himber Wallet. It’s a quick thing I used for a short while a
couple of years after I wrote those books. There are many ways to
present it; I’ll teach what I think is probably the simplest and the best.
I used to do it after I’d done an effect that either (apparently) destroyed
or caused to disappear a spectator’s, say, $10 bill. Use any denomina-
tion you like, of course.

Preparation: Glue two of your blank checks back to back. One side re-
mains blank, but fill in the other side. Make it out for $10.00. If you
can, fill in the date and a spectator’s name just prior to performance.
If not, make it payable to “cash,” and date it currently. Place this gaff,
blank-check-side-up, into the half pocket of the wallet. Close the wal-
let; open it to its other side and place a $10 bill onto one panel. That is,
leave it loose or free, don’t put it into a pocket.

Performance: Remember, you owe a spectator $10.00. Take out the

wallet. “I’m a little short of cash at the moment. Will you take a check?”
(Rhetorical question.) Open the wallet to the check side. Remove the
blank check, letting it be seen clearly, as you say, “Oh, I don’t have
time to make it out now so I’ll use a bit of magic.” Leave the
blank-side-up check on the left side of the wallet—not in the pocket.
Close the wallet by flipping its left side over and down onto the right
side. You’ve automatically reversed the gaffed check.
Patter for a moment. If you like, you can take out a pen and use
that as your wand, or “pretend write” above the wallet with it (Figure
13). Then open the wallet to the same side to show the magically
filled-out check (reverse side of the blank check).

25
26 The Himber Wallet Book

Figure 13

Don’t remove the check, just display it in the wallet. “Here you are,
my check for ten dollars; now we’re even.” Pause for a beat. “Oh, you
don’t want to bother cashing a check made out for so little money?
Okay; no problem—I’ll cash it for you.” At this point, you can open
(slightly) to the other side of the wallet and slip the pen inside, as al-
ready explained. Or, use the flap. If you use either/or, you can casu-
ally drop the wallet onto the table—and let your spectator open it for
the finale. If you don’t use pen or flap, continue to hold the closed
wallet.
Do your (appropriate) magical gesture, and then end by opening
the wallet (or letting your spectator open it) to its other side—to show
only the $10 bill. Let him take it, then close the wallet—to end.

Afterthoughts: I’ve given you only a general idea of the patter. Change
it to fit your way of working, your personality. Yes, it’s simple and
easy to do, but it can make a strong impact.
 Five Star Miracle
I probably could write a book on just different methods of doing this
one effect. This, to my mind, is one of the strongest effects you can
do for a layman (with the Himber Wallet).

)_

The above is how the write-up for this effect starts in the original
HUNDRED DOLLAR BOOK. Then, it goes on to say which
double-face cards to use, how to place them in the Himber Wallet,
and how to open the wallet to show whichever of four cards you’d like
to show. I don’t have to do that here because I’ve already told you that
I’ll use the 2S/8H and 4S/10H as the example double facers through-
out. And, I’ve already explained—in Any Number—how to place
them into the wallet and how to open the wallet to show any one of
the four cards.
Truth is, my write-up in BEST OF BILL-FOOLED is more com-
plete than the one in THE HUNDRED DOLLAR BOOK. So what
follows is a combination of my original write-ups from both books,
plus my inevitable editing and some up-dating. I really am trying to
keep a lot of the original writing intact; it’s difficult for me.

)_

Now then, in any regular deck and during a previous routine, secure
the four vital cards and place them every other card from top; i.e., 2nd,
4th, 6th and 8th. (You also want to remember the order of the vital
cards; in my examples, they’re always in 2S-4S-8H-10H order. Now,
I have to veer away from my original writing—it was [is] awful. The

27
28 The Himber Wallet Book

point is that it’s simple enough to get the four cards to the top of the
deck, and then do one in faro. That’s it; you’re in position.
You may prefer to set the cards to 1-3-5-7 positions. Do a straddle
faro. That is, cut a small portion from top [eight or nine cards] and
faro them into center of the larger portion. Interlace only about an
inch, then remove the small batch and the cards it has interlaced, or
“caught” [Figures 14 and 15 ]. Place this elongated packet on top and
cascade to square. The vital cards are at 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th positions. If
you want them at the even-numbered positions, simply cut one card
to top via a double cut, or shuffle one card to top via an overhand jog
shuffle.)
There are (now) so many different methods of having one of the
four vital cards selected (in an apparently free-choice manner). It’s up

Figure 14

Figure 15
Harry Lorayne 29

to you to select the one that you can present best, the one you think is
strongest. (Your four vital cards are in alternating positions at top—
either at every odd position or at every even position.)
Bring out your Himber Wallet, saying that you have a prediction
in it. Leave it on the table, in full view. False shuffle the deck. Easy to
do, of course, since you need control only the small top stock. (There
were two selection methods that I used mostly. I still do. What fol-
lows is the first of those two methods.)
Table the deck. Let your spectator take the two top cards, one in
each hand, and let him (or her) look at them. Tell him that if he doesn’t
like either of those two, it’s all right for him to discard them, and take
the next two cards. Again, tell him to look at them and if he likes them
you will continue—if not, he may discard them and take the next two.
The point is that he can do this only four times. Since he’ll see eight
different cards, he must agree that he is getting a free choice. As soon
as he says he’s satisfied with the two cards he’s holding, tell him to
throw either one of them face up onto the table. If he throws down
one of your key cards—“Fine; this is the card you decided on all by
yourself.” Say that you’ve had one card in the wallet from the begin-
ning. Open it to display the duplicate of his card. (As in Any Num-
ber.)
If the card he throws down is not one of your key cards, the one he
still holds is. (And you should know which one it is.) Casually brush
aside the one he threw down, and say, “All right, you’ve decided to
use that card.” Point to the one he’s holding. Open the wallet to the
duplicate of that card, then let him show his card, and so forth.
(After I wrote the above, I still used the idea, but a bit differently.
Shuffle two indifferent cards onto the stack. Then take off two cards
at a time, one in each hand. The vital card always in your right hand.
Talk and explain as you show the first two. Then toss those two onto
the table and take off the next two cards, saying that he should stop
you at any time. Continue until he stops you. Have him point to one
of the cards you’re holding. Same ending—magician’s choice. The top
two indifferent cards give you just a bit more leeway.)
30 The Himber Wallet Book

Another way to use the same set-up is to false shuffle, then hand
the deck to your spectator. For this, it’s better to have the vital cards
at even positions (again, for a bit more leeway). He’s to deal from the
top, one card at a time, onto the table into a face-up packet, slowly.
He’s to stop when he likes. Again the idea is that he rarely will go past
the eighth card. It’s up to you to make sure he doesn’t. (If you’re ner-
vous about it, don’t use this method. A good out, if he does go past the
eighth card is to have him pick up the dealt packet, hold it face up,
and deal again, slowly, onto the table, and stop when he likes. This
gives you two shots at it!)
Because you’ve spread the deck to show that it’s a regular one, and
that the cards are mixed, I don’t think this is a problem. So, if one of
your keys is on top of the face-up tabled packet, say that you’ll use
the card he stopped at (that top card). End the effect using that card. If
it isn’t one of your keys, then you know that your key is on top of the
cards he’s still holding. Work accordingly. Say that you’ll use the card
at which he stopped (point to the top card of his in-hand cards), the
one no one has seen yet. End as taught.
And still another way to use the same set-up: Deal the top eight
cards face down and alternately into two tabled packets. One packet
will contain indifferent cards, the other will have all four of your key
cards. Have your spectator point to one packet. Use magician’s choice
to keep the vital one and discard the indifferent one.
Any card he selects from this packet is fine. Deal the four cards into
two packets of two cards each. Have him indicate either one. Be sure
that you do the same thing here as you did with the 4-card packets.
That is, if you used the packet he pointed to then, keep the packet he
points to now, and so forth. Deal the two remaining cards face down
the same way. He points to one, which you either discard or keep. It’s
a good idea to flash the cards you discard so that different cards are
seen throughout. End the effect with the remaining card.
(In BEST OF BILL-FOOLED, I devoted quite a few pages to meth-
ods for doing the same thing with a completely set-up or gaffed deck.
Simple really. The deck consisted of the eight cards repeated through-
Harry Lorayne 31

out. Then, your spectator could cut anywhere, or reverse a card to

center behind his back, and so on. It’s a good idea, but I don’t think it’s
necessary. The above methods are as strong, and you can use a regu-
lar deck.)
Use your imagination. For example, you could have the eight cards
at about the center of the deck. Dribble cards from hand to hand, or
hand to table, asking to be stopped. Force the stop near center. Turn
up the stopped-at card on top of dribbled portion. If it’s a key, fine. If
not, it’s the card at face of the in-hand cards. Or—dribble the cards
face up; same concept.

)_

Now, here’s the second of the selection methods I always used. I do

present it a bit differently than I taught it originally.
The set-up is the same. (Assume the four vital cards are at even
positions.) After a false shuffle and a false cut, deal the top eight cards
into a face-down left-to-right row on the table. Say that there are eight
cards, so would he (the spectator) give you any number from 1 to 8.
Since this really is a free choice of a number from 1 to 8, stress that
fact.
Then, if you’re given an even number, simply count to it from your
left end. If it’s an odd number, count from your right end. (If it’s an
odd number, it’s simpler to say, without hesitation, “Go ahead then, please
count to that number.” And let him count. He counts normally, which
will bring him to one of the key cards [odd number] if, of course, your
spectator is seated opposite you.)
That’s all there is to it. When a card is counted to, push it a bit out
of the row. And, turn face up the other seven cards. (It’s important to
show, always, that he “could have selected any of these.” You’ll know
which key card remains face down—so open the wallet to that one,
and end as explained.)
This is about my favorite way to use the Himber Wallet—for a card
effect.
 Chainsaw
A stacked deck is not necessary for forcing one of four vital cards,
as discussed in the preceding item. But, if you lean toward stacks,
Phil Goldstein devised an excellent one—of only twenty-six cards.
Here’s the basic idea: As usual, your wallet is tabled in full view as
you say that it contains your prediction. You shuffle a deck, then table
it face up. A spectator is instructed to cut the deck. Whatever the value
of the cut-to card, that number of cards is dealt to arrive at a selec-
tion. Your prediction is shown to be correct.
One of four cards is forced via this stack. Either use two double
envelopes, one on each side of the Himber Wallet, or the double-faced
cards—2S/8H, 4S/10H. Here’s the stack, from face of deck; that is, from
bottom up. Suits are immaterial (except for the force cards, of course)
and should be a random mix:
10, K, 8, J, 6, 9, 4, 7, 2, 5, 2S, 10, K, 8, 8H, 6, 9, 4, 7, 2, 5, 4S, 3, X, X,
10H—rest of deck. The indifferent 10-spot is at face of deck.
Start by shuffling the deck, keeping the lower half intact. Easiest
way is to do a couple of center Hindu Shuffles stripping cards from
above center of the face-down deck. False cut or two, if you like, then
cut or shuffle about thirteen cards from top to bottom, centering your
stack. Table the squared face-up deck.
Ask your spectator to cut. Obviously, he (or she) has to cut within
your stack in order for the force to work. You’ve got a 24-card leeway.
If he cuts an unusually large or unusually small portion, all is not lost.
Tell him to complete the cut. As he does, “follow” your stack, and have
him cut again. It shouldn’t be too difficult to force a cut into so large a
stack. Of course, you could originally say, “Please cut anywhere near
center.” (I prefer not to do that.) And if you’re familiar with the stacked
cards, you can let him keep cutting until one of them arrives at face.

32
Harry Lorayne 33

Obviously, if one of the four vital cards is cut to, that becomes the
selection. Remove and/or reveal the proper prediction from or in the
wallet. For any other card within the stack: Place it aside and say that
you (or he) will deal/count that number of cards. (Jack is 11; king is
13.) Do that, starting with the next card in the face-up deck. The
arrived-at card will be one of your force cards! Reveal your (correct)
prediction.

Afterthoughts: If you like, while you’re stacking the deck, give each of
the four vital cards a slight longitudinal crimp—that is, hold it face
up and bend its long sides downward. This will raise the odds of your
spectator cutting right to one of the four. You can use a “breather”
crimp, if you know it (see the April 1995 issue of Apocalypse, page 2488).
As a matter of fact, crimping the four cards and scattering them
throughout an unstacked deck, then letting the spectator shuffle, and
so forth, is not such a shabby idea!
Over half a century ago, when I thought that close-up magic would
be my life’s work, I was trying to get some of that work in New York.
I’d just returned from a 6-month sojourn in Florida. One of the top
places in New York City at the time was Billy Reed’s Little Club. I
knew that another magician had done table magic there some time
ago, and he’d told me that the tips were pretty good.
One day Dick Himber asked me why I looked so down and out. I
told him that I needed work and that The Little Club would be great
for me. He asked why I didn’t go see Billy Reed. I said that I simply
didn’t have the courage to walk in cold.
Dick didn’t answer—he simply whistled for a taxi and took me
straight to The Little Club. I protested—I wasn’t properly dressed,
I wasn’t prepared, and so forth. Dick paid no attention.
We entered The Little Club, on East 55th Street and Park Av-
enue. Himber said, “Wait here,” and yelled across the crowded res-
taurant to Billy Reed. Reed approached and Dick introduced me as
“the greatest close-up magician that ever walked the earth”! Reed said,
“Lovely,” and started to walk away.
Dick wouldn’t let go. He said to Billy, “Which is your most im-
portant group here? I want Harry to do just a few minutes for them.”
Reed started to protest, but that never deterred Himber. Reed had to
say “okay.” We approached a tableful of people. Dick whispered to
me—“Do only one effect, or I’ll kill you!”
That’s what I did. Fortunately the customers raved. Reed said,
“Come in tomorrow, Kid—we’ll talk.” I came in—I got the job.
Himber went out of his way for quite a few others, as he did for
me that day—and other days.
 I’ll Tell Your Fortune
D uring the short period of time in which I earned my living as a
close-up performer (good Lord, that’s half a century ago!) I was
often asked, by women usually, if I also told fortunes. Since the men
(who did the tipping) would be pleased if their women were pleased,
I had to develop an effect that involved fortune telling. I finally did.
It’s in CLOSE-UP CARD MAGIC (1962). Now here’s another
“fortune-telling” effect using the Himber Wallet.
It’s basically a prediction effect built around fortune telling. There’s
some preparation involved, but once it’s done, you can use it over and
over again. You have to prepare a deck of thirty-two cards; each card
having a question on it that a layman might ask a fortune teller. Only
sixteen questions are actually needed.
The easiest way to do this is to type the questions on faces of blank
playing cards, or index cards. Do sixteen questions, then do the same
ones again. Although these sixteen questions are all different, they fall
into four main, basic, categories. Each set of four questions must be
worded so that the same answer will appear to pertain to any one of
them, specifically. I’d suggest that the categories you use be health,
wealth, love, and success. Most questions anyone would like to ask
fall into one of these categories.
I don’t want to give you all sixteen questions; I think it’s better if
you think them up yourself. But, I’ll give you an idea of all the answers
and some of the questions. Your job will be to match the questions to
the answers.
One of the answers could be, SINCE YOUR QUESTION PER-
TAINS TO HEALTH, MY ANSWER IS—STOP PROCRASTI-
NATING! OF COURSE YOU SHOULD. That’s the answer, now
here are four questions that might go with that answer.

35
36 The Himber Wallet Book

1. Should I go on a diet?
2. Should I visit my doctor?
3. Should I join a health club?
4. Should I do more exercise?

Another one of your answers could be—SINCE YOUR QUES-

TION IS ABOUT MONEY, YOU WILL SOON REALIZE THAT
MONEY ISN’T EVERYTHING! The matching questions could be
something like this:

1. Should I open a bank account?

2. Should I invest my money?
3. Should I marry for money?
4. Should I find a better-paying position?

The third answer: SINCE YOUR QUESTION CONCERNS

LOVE—YOUR OWN HEART MUST GUIDE YOU! The questions
could be something like, “Should I marry the one I’m going with now?”
Or, “Is my ‘significant other’ being unfaithful?” and so forth.
A suggestion for the fourth answer: SINCE YOUR QUESTION
PERTAINS TO YOUR FUTURE SUCCESS, BE AWARE THAT
HARD WORK INTELLIGENTLY APPLIED MUST WIN OUT!
The questions are easy to make up—“How can I get a raise?” or, “Will
my latest venture be successful?” and so on.
Keep in mind that the questions should be as different as possible
in each category, but each must seem to be referred to specifically by
your prepared answer. Also, I’ve given you suggestions only. You’ll
most likely come up with your own better, to-the-point, questions and
answers.
If all this is clear, let’s go on with the preparation. Type each ques-
tion twice; that is, type it on two of your blank cards. When you’re
finished, you’ll have thirty-two cards containing sixteen different
questions. (Check my “note” at the end—these notes eventually be-
came my “Afterthoughts.”)
Harry Lorayne 37

All right; now you’ll need two blank-on-both-side cards—to give

you four blank surfaces. Type or print one of your answers on each
surface. Place these cards “loose” into the wallet so that you can show
whichever answer (or surface) you like without hesitation. Just memo-
rize the positions of the cards in the wallet. You’re ready to go into
your presentation.
I always have a regular deck handy as an extra “piece,” as you’ll
see. To begin—“You know, I went to see a gypsy fortune teller today,
and one of the things she told me was that I’d meet a blond young lady
who would ask me to tell her fortune. This young lady would be about
five feet four inches tall, and probably wearing a green dress.” Describe
the person who has asked you to tell her fortune, or whoever you want
to be your assistant for the effect. (A large part of your tongue is in
your cheek, of course, unless you want to play it “seriously.”)
“Yes, the gypsy is right so far. As a matter of fact, she was so sure
about all this, that she actually gave me the answer to the question
you haven’t even asked yet! I have it here in this wallet. I haven’t read
it yet, myself; we’ll do that together. Okay?”
Table the wallet in full view. “Before your question, however, the
gypsy told me that I must have you select what she called a ‘wishing’
card. Please select one, show it to everyone but me, and we’ll shuffle
it into the deck so that nobody knows where it is. Please remember it;
it can be quite important to you, as you’ll see.” She selects any card
from the regular deck, remembers it and replaces it. You control it to
the top. Table the deck.
Now is the time to show your deck of question cards (which has
been shuffled so that the pairs of repeated questions are well separated).
Spread the question-down cards on the table as you explain that they
contain most any question anyone would want to ask. Pick up one of
each category, show it, and read it aloud. The idea is to show the ap-
parently wide selection of questions. (You might want to have the ones
you want to show on top, show them, then shuffle.)
Let the spectator shuffle some more, then re-spread them onto the
table. Your assistant is to select any one of them. (This can be done
38 The Himber Wallet Book

with the cards face down or face up; they aren’t left there long enough
for any duplications to register.) Be sure to make a “thing” over the
free-choice aspect. Read her question aloud, or have her do so. (If
you’re any good at cold readings, this is a good time to make use of
that talent. You might as well milk this for whatever you can!)
Then, “Well, I think that’s a good question; perhaps it’s something
you’ve had on your mind for a while. Let’s see how good my gypsy
is.” Open the wallet to the correct category and let everyone see the
answer. Read it out loud, or have someone else do so. Of course, the
answer pertains directly to her question. (That’s the point.)
That’s the first climax. Now, “Oh, I almost forgot about the wish-
ing card; the one you selected before.” What you do now is force that
card on your helper. (I’m not a great fan of the basic Criss-Cross force,
but it fits perfectly here.)
Shuffle the regular deck, keeping her card on top. (Now I’d use my
Status Quo Shuffle, out of RIM SHOTS.) Table the deck and let her
cut wherever she likes and table the cut-off portion. Place the bottom
portion onto her cut-off portion in criss-cross fashion, as you say,
“Good, let’s mark the card you cut to like this.”
Leave the deck in that condition as you talk. “Now, according to
my gypsy (not me), if you should happen to have cut to your particu-
lar wishing card, any wish you make will come true! That’s almost
impossible, of course; the odds against it are insurmountable, but that’s
what the gypsy said. So, before we look at the card you cut to (here
you obviously lift off the top half of the deck; take the top card of the
remaining half and place it face down in front of her. As years went
by, I called the idea of taking up time, time misdirection, as already men-
tioned). Make your wish. Make it silently, of course.” You’ll be sur-
prised at how many women (and men, too) will take this all seriously,
close their eyes, and really make a wish.
“Have you made your wish? Good. Now, here’s the card you cut to
just a moment ago. Tell me, what is the name of your wishing card?
The ace of clubs? Well remember, if that card is the ace of clubs your
wish will come true. But please don’t be upset or disappointed if it isn’t.
Harry Lorayne 39

I told you that the odds against it are tremendous. And I don’t think
you really believe in this stuff anyway, do you? With this in mind then,
why don’t you look at that card? Well, I’ll be . . . it is the ace of clubs!
Your wish will surely come true!”
There you have it. Women will scream, and love you—men and
women will be completely fooled, and they’ll talk about it, too. You
can’t ask for much more from a piece of magic.

Afterthoughts: I’m pleased with and proud of this routine; please give it
the time, the presentation, the care, it deserves. If you want to, you
can think up five or six questions for each category. That will give
you twenty to twenty-four question cards, so you won’t need dupli-
cates if you don’t want to use them.
Another idea is to place an indifferent question card between each
pair of vital question cards. Then you can force one of the vital ones,
as in Five Star Miracle. I’ll leave that to you; I don’t think it’s neces-
sary.
Use any method you like—so long as one of the answers that you
can open to in your Himber Wallet answers the chosen question as
directly as possible. I can visualize some performers building this into
a much talked-about highlight of their close-up shows.
 Maybe Twice
Y ou’ll need the wallet, of course, and two double-faced cards (I’m
still using, for teaching purposes, the 2S/8H and the 4S/10H), two
small pay envelopes (just large enough to “take” a card), and five regu-
lar playing cards. Four of these regular cards are duplicates of your
double facers. For me, these would be the 2S, 4S, 8H, 10H with red
backs—and one matching indifferent card, say the 6D, with a blue back.
The indifferent card can be any card, and the back colors can be re-
versed. The point is that the indifferent card is the odd-colored card.
Set it up as you like.
Place one double facer into each envelope and tuck in the flaps, or
not; up to you. One envelope goes into the half pocket on one side of
the wallet, the other goes into the half pocket on the other side. You
need to remember a) which direction to open for the 2S/8H and which
way to open for the 4S/10H and b), which way to remove either card
from its envelope to show the proper surface.

To Perform: Table the five face-up regular cards. (You could, of course,
have the five vital cards at bottom of a full deck. Shuffle, keeping them
in place. Then, flip the deck face up and deal off the five face cards.
This is to make it appear as if you use any five cards.) Don’t flash their
backs and, of course, don’t mention the fact that one back is different
than the others.
Ask a spectator to mix these five cards around on the table (or you
do it) as you bring out and table the wallet. Say that you’ve placed a
prediction in that wallet, and it will stay right here in full view.
I prefer to table the wallet with only one of the pay envelopes in
place. The other envelope is in my pocket. When I mention “predic-
tion,” I take that envelope out of my pocket, flip open the wallet to its

40
Harry Lorayne 41

empty side and openly insert the envelope. (Always keep in mind which
surface is where within the envelopes. Easy; I use the envelope flaps
as guides or reminders. For example, the flap side of each indicates
the spade card; the 2S or 4S faces that particular surface.) Taking the
envelope out of your pocket, plus letting one side of the wallet be seen
to be empty makes this just a bit stronger.
Okay; whichever way you go, there is now an envelope in each of
the wallet’s half pockets. Ask your spectator to indicate one of the five
face-up tabled cards. He has an absolutely free choice. The odds are
that he’ll select one of your key-card duplicates. If he does, end by
opening the wallet to the proper side and taking the double-faced card
out of the envelope to display the proper surface—the match. Be sure
that the envelope is seen to be otherwise empty. Put everything away.
But, if he selects the odd card, immediately say that you knew he’d
select that card, because—turn each of the other four cards face down
to show their red backs—“You chose the only card with a blue back!”
Show the chosen card’s blue back.
Then, place aside the blue-backed card, and say, “Now I’ll take this
just a step further. Take your time, and select one of these cards.” He
now has a free choice of one of the four remaining vital cards. (That’s
the reason for my title; you’ll do the effect “maybe twice.”)
He indicates one, and you end by opening the wallet and showing
the “match,” as explained. What’s important, of course, is that you show
it without any fidgeting or hesitation.

Afterthoughts: It’s a good effect. Think about adding the “touch” I’ve
mentioned throughout this book—the “touch” of having something
in the long pocket of the wallet that shows whenever you open it, and
no matter which side you open to. Or, have two identical “somethings,”
one in each long pocket, as discussed elsewhere. And check out Angle
Fold.
If this sort of thing works with your wallet, you can rubber cement
two $5 bills back to back. Keep this in mind—in order for the same
area of bill to show no matter which way the wallet is opened, the bills
42 The Himber Wallet Book

are cemented back to back, but facing in different directions. I.e., Lin-
coln is looking one way on one side of the double-faced bill and the
other way on the other side. You’ll see what I mean when you try it.
When you end the effect, you can say that “this five-dollar bill was
for you—if my prediction was incorrect.”
If you use double envelopes (just an extra center panel) you can use
two more double-faced cards to give you a choice of eight cards to
predict. Then you’d table nine cards at the start—eight of them with
red backs, and one (indifferent) card with a blue back. This is much
stronger of course—if you want to bother.
Finally, you needn’t use pay envelopes at all, if you’d rather not.
The double facers are placed loose, one on each side of the wallet. Then
you’d end as taught in Any Number and in Five Star Miracle.
 Cut And Restored Ribbon
H ere’s a lovely idea from Doug Edwards. You’ll need the Himber
Wallet, a pair of scissors, and two lengths of thin (cheap) ribbon.
Doug uses a 3-foot length (or a bit shorter) and an approximately
12-and-a-half inch length of the same ribbon—not too wide; about
half an inch to 5/8ths of an inch is good. These measurements are not
crucial. You might want to have a marking pen handy so that your
spectator can initial an end of the ribbon before it’s cut.
Now then, it’s the shorter ribbon that’s prepared. Accordian pleat
an end—half inch or so pleats. Pleat about four or five inches of the
end that way. Tuck the pleated end into the long pocket on on one
side of the wallet. Tuck it in near the end of the pocket, pleats down-
ward (see Afterthoughts). Push the end far into the pocket—you don’t
want it sliding out prematurely. (Figure 16; the other end has been
pleated the same way, and tucked, pleats downward, into the other
end of the same pocket.) The point is to form a loop or bight at cen-
ter, as shown. Let that loop lie across center of that panel; you don’t
want any part of this ribbon to flash when you open to the wallet’s

Figure 16

43
44 The Himber Wallet Book

other side. As usual, be sure to know which side this prepared ribbon
is in, so that you can open to the other side as you start the perfor-
mance. And also as usual, I’ll explain the basic handling. I realize that
each person will eventually handle it in his or her own way. That’s
fine. Learn the basic handling/idea then make it fit your way of work-
ing. That holds true for most (many) of the items in this book.

To Perform: Display the long length of ribbon; allow it to be examined,

if you like. Open your wallet to its empty side and thread a ribbon
end through each of the thin strips—one at top, one at bottom—of
the half-pocket side; every Himber Wallet has those thin strips. Let a
spectator initial one end (or both ends) of the ribbon. Then hold the
open wallet on your right hand, the half-pocket (with ribbon) panel
resting on your fingers, your thumb holding open the long-pocket
panel. (Figure 17; this shows the position of the wallet on your hand
and also how the ribbon is threaded through those strips.)
You get to the other side of the wallet in a natural way. Your right
thumb closes down its side as your right hand places the closed wallet

Figure 17
Harry Lorayne 45

onto your left hand. You’ve “freed” your right hand in order to im-
mediately pull one dangling end of the ribbon downward, then the
other end. Do this two or three times to show that it slides to and fro
easily, and to subliminally stress the “wholeness” of it (Figure 18). This
also supplies a bit of “time misdirection.”
Then your left thumb reaches across to the center of the upper
panel’s right long side and lifts that upper panel, opening the wallet,
just a bit. This is, automatically, the “gaffed ribbon” side. Open only
enough to insert the point of the closed scissors with your right hand.
You can look in and hook the loop with the scissor point. Only you
can see the prepared ribbon, but if you’re nervous about that, turn the
opening toward yourself for this moment. Drag the loop out—about
an inch and a half or so—far enough to be able to cut it easily.

Figure 18
46 The Himber Wallet Book

This is, of course, a perfect illusion of the center of the examined,

initialed, ribbon being pulled out (for cutting). Now you see the rea-
son for the pleating and for keeping the pleats downward. It assures
that a ribbon end doesn’t accidentally come out of the long pocket. If
the pleats are upward, an end could come out. (Figure 19, exposed. In
performance, the wallet would be closed as soon as the loop is out.)
Clearly and dramatically cut the loop. Let this register, then push
the cut ends into the wallet with the scissor point. Push in far enough
to assure that they aren’t seen again. Table the scissors. Then, in just
about one fluid motion, your left hand places the wallet into your right
hand, which moves the wallet toward the spectator as you ask him to
blow on it. This has cleared the wallet’s left side—the side you need
to open for the ending.
The spectator blows and you pull the ribbon to and fro as you did
before—the ribbon is restored! Ask if those are his initials on the
ribbon’s end. Time misdirection again. Then place the wallet onto your
left palm or onto the table and open it by raising the top panel to the

Figure 19
Harry Lorayne 47

right (like the page of a book); your right thumb reaches to the left
side in order to do this. The full restored length of the ribbon, and
nothing else, is seen. Then, to lock it all in, tell your spectator to pull
the ribbon completely out of the wallet. He can examine it and keep
it. Casually pocket the wallet.

Afterthoughts: Again, if the extra piece’s ends are inserted pleats upward
there’d be more of a tendency for the entire end to slide out of the
long pocket as you pull out the loop. When the pleats are downward,
as taught, the tendency is for those pleats to open as the ribbon is
pulled—the “main” ends stay in the pocket. This, of course, is open
to a bit of experimenting. If done properly/carefully, you can set it so
that you can pull out enough of the loop (to cut) without pulling on
the pocketed ends at all.
If you want to bother, you can put a dollop of magician’s wax at
each ribbon end to assure that those ends don’t come out of the pocket.
Try this routine; work with it. It’s a unique use of the Himber Wallet
and, done well, one heck of a fooler. (Can you use string or a shoelace
instead of ribbon? Of course.)
 Which Is Where?
M y patter theme throughout is that I’m testing my spectator’s
memory, and that he or she is not doing too well. It’s an obvi-
ous theme, as you’ll see. You’ll need the Himber Wallet, of course,
and two double-faced cards. For this, I like to use a red picture card
on one side and a black spot card on the other (of one double facer),
for better contrast. So, one of my double facers is QH/2C; the other is
QH (must match court card on first double facer) on one side, AS on
the other. These are the cards I have, so I’ll use them in what may
seem to be a confusing explanation. You can use cards you happen to
have available. Something that’s rarely mentioned in all the instruc-
tions I’ve ever seen, and that’s quite important, is that the double-faced
cards must match the shading, coloring, texture of the regular cards in
a routine of this kind.

Preparation: Remove the regular 2C and AS from your deck; place the
2C onto the AS, then place both into your outside jacket pocket—face
of AS closer to body. Remove the regular QS and AH; open your wallet
and place these two cards, ace at face, onto the right panel; that is, onto
the long pocket. These can be placed either face up or face down ac-
cording to how you open the wallet at the end. You’ll see what I mean
when we get there. Place the regular QH at face of the face-up deck,
the 2C/QH double facer goes to second from face, 2C upward. Put the
other double-faced card to third from face, AS upward. So from bottom
of face-down deck upward—QH, 2C, AS in that order. You’re set.

To Perform: Build the “I want to test your memory” theme however

you like. As you talk, shuffle, keeping the bottom three cards in place;
careful not to expose the reverse sides of the double facers prematurely.

48
Harry Lorayne 49

Finally—“Most people are terrible witnesses because they can’t re-

member details. Here, I’ll show you what I mean with a couple of these
cards.” Flip the deck face up and push off the QH, then the 2C (double
facer) onto it. “Oh, these are easy cards to remember, I think.” Square
the two cards and table the deck. Flash the back of the 2-card, in-hand,
packet. (The back of the regular QH.) Hold the “packet” face up.
Bring out the wallet. “I’ll put the two of clubs into my wallet—re-
member that. Also remember that I’ll put the queen of hearts into my
pocket.” Open the wallet to its empty side. Place the 2C (double facer)
onto the right panel, onto the long pocket (Figure 20). When you close
the wallet right to left the card is automatically turned over. All the
closings can be the same—right to left—without secretly turning over
the wallet, except for the last time. It’s the double-face idea that does
the work up to the end, not the wallet. So close the wallet right to left.
The (regular) QH goes into your pocket—slide it under the AS and
2C so that it becomes the card closest to your body.
Then ask him (or her) which card is where. He’ll say, “Two of clubs
in your wallet, queen of hearts in your pocket.” Say something about
not paying attention, and that he’s got it backward. “The two of clubs

Figure 20
50 The Himber Wallet Book

is in my pocket (take out the top card of the three in your pocket, the
regular 2C; flash its back). The queen of hearts is in my wallet.” Table
the 2C and open the wallet left to right (Figure 21) to display the QH
on the left panel. As you talk, casually slide the card back onto the
right panel (see Afterthoughts).
“I may have moved a bit too quickly for you. I’ll do it again—pay
attention this time. I’ll leave the queen of hearts in the wallet (close
the wallet right to left and table it) and the two of clubs goes into my
pocket. Keep that in mind—queen of hearts in the wallet, two of clubs
in my pocket.” Place the 2C on top of the two cards in your pocket.
Build as you like, then ask which is where. When he answers (“QH
in wallet, 2C in pocket”), say, “Boy, you sure would make a lousy
witness, it’s just the other way around! The two of clubs is in my wal-
let and the queen of hearts is in my pocket.” Remove the QH from
your pocket (the bottom card of the three). Let its back flash, and table
it. Pick up the wallet and open it left to right to display the 2C on its
left panel.
“I think I can solve your memory problem. I’ll use a card that’s easier
to remember than the two of clubs. I think that even you can keep track

Figure 21
Harry Lorayne 51

of the ace of spades.” The AS (double facer) is at face of the deck proper.
Take it and place the 2C (double facer) in its place. Cut the deck to
lose the 2C, or simply insert it into the deck.
“Okay; the ace of spades goes into the wallet (place it onto the
wallet’s right panel, close the wallet right to left, turning over the card),
and the queen of hearts goes into my pocket.” Place the queen on top
of the two cards in the pocket. Build as you like, then ask which is
where. (He’ll say “AS in wallet, QH in pocket.”)
“I can’t believe it, you forgot again!” Bring the AS out of your pocket
(bottom card of the three), flashing its back as you table it. Open the
wallet, left to right, to show the QH at left. “I think I know what’s
confusing you. You have to remember not only two cards, but also
two locations. Why don’t I put both the ace of spades and the queen of
hearts into the wallet; that’s all, only one location.” Do so. Close the
wallet (how you close it here is up to you—you’re going to display its
other side in a moment).
Patter a bit. You can table the wallet as you talk, if you like, secretly
turning it over as you do. Then, “Can you remember the names of
the two cards in my wallet?” He’ll say that they are the AS and QH.
“Well, I can see that there’s no way I can help you. You’ve got it all
backward again—they’re the ace of hearts and queen of spades!” Open
the wallet to its other side to show those two regular cards, the AH
and QS. Let their backs be seen as you table them. Casually pocket
the wallet.

Afterthoughts: I know, it reads complicated. When you’re familiar with

it, it isn’t at all. To help you just a bit at first—during the routine, cards
are put into your pocket in this order—bottom, top, top. They’re taken
out of the pocket—top, bottom, bottom. Remember that there’s a
double facer in the deck at the end; use it or remove it at convenience.
Yes, there is a “golden discrepancy.” When you close the wallet right
to left, turning over the double-faced card, it should be face down. I’ve
done this routine many times—that discrepancy hasn’t been noticed
yet. Every so often, when I open the wallet left to right to show the
52 The Himber Wallet Book

“change” of one card to another, I slide the card to the right, back onto
the wallet’s right panel. Don’t try to hide this, just do it as you open
the wallet. Bend the right panel back a bit past level (otherwise the card
could slide into the long pocket) as your left thumb pushes over the
card (Figure 22). Your right thumb completes the “slide over.” No big

Figure 22

Figure 23
Harry Lorayne 53

deal; it’s a small subliminal convincer, or “confuser.” Use it or not; up

to you.
I found an easy way (for me) to turn over the wallet. It’s just, again,
confusing enough not to create suspicion. I use it at the end of this
routine. I place the regular AH and QS into the wallet face up when I
“set.” (I want them face down when I open at the end.) Hold the wallet
on your right palm, fingers at left side, thumb at right (Figure 23). As
you talk, turn the right hand palm down, placing the wallet onto your
left palm (Figure 24) and opening it with your right thumb (left to right)
at the same time. (This is exactly as in the second illustration, and done
even before the wallet is completely down on your left palm. The
difference is that two face-down cards are seen on the left panel.)
Don’t make a move out of this, and it looks just fine. I like it, too,
because it shows backs on the left panel, which is another small sub-
liminal convincer. Of course, you can secretly turn over the wallet;
the two cards are placed face up for that, too. And, open as you have
been, left to right. The two cards are originally placed face down for
this “wallet opening.”
The patter I’ve only suggested is done tongue-in-cheek. You don’t
want to insult or embarrass your spectator. Your audience must know

Figure 24
54 The Himber Wallet Book

that you’re kidding. (I know that this should be obvious to most, but
one never knows!)
It’s always better to remove card from pocket first. That way, you
have the wallet in hand as you move to the next phase. Safer that way.
This, too, should be obvious. I’ve read write-ups of similar routines—
that point is never mentioned. It should be—it is important.
Other than that, you’ll have to supply the details, your own moves
and finesses.
 Emergency Wallet
W hat an excellent idea this is. It’s the brainchild of Doug Edwards.
If you have access to a glue stick, and if you’re in a restaurant,
or any store, that has a small rack with American Express Card appli-
cations (they’re called “short applications”), you can make an emer-
gency Himber Wallet! If you don’t have a glue stick (if you remem-
ber to carry that, you’d remember to carry your Himber Wallet),
transparent tape or even paper clips would suffice. As a matter of fact,
there’s a strip of glue at the proper places ready for you to moisten, as
you’ll see.
These short applications are tri-folded, like a 3-panel “screen.”
(Figure 25 is the front of the closed unit; Figure 26, the top or front
panel opened to the left—the underside of the third panel [”Business
Reply Mail”] is visible at right; Figure 27, opened all the way.)

Figure 25

55
Figure 26

Figure 27
Harry Lorayne 57

All right; you need two of these application forms. Open both of
them; leave one tabled. Turn the in-hand form face down, turning from
left to right like the page of a book. Glue the (now) left panel down
onto the tabled application’s right panel. You’ll be gluing a “Business
Reply” panel onto a “Business Reply” panel. You’ll see that there’s a
glue strip at left underside of the top left panel and a glue strip at upper
right long side of the lower right panel. Wetting and gluing those will
do. (It looks as in Figure 28.)
Now, to close or fold the “package” properly: Fold the glued cen-
ter panels over to the left—Figure 29, near completion. Then fold the

Figure 28

Figure 29
58 The Himber Wallet Book

left third over to the right onto the center third (Figure 30, near
completion) and the right third under and to the left (Figure 31). That’s
it; you have an emergency Himber Wallet! Looks like Figure 25 when
completely closed.
To use it: Open the top layer (top third or panel) to the left (Figure
32). Close the “wallet,” turn it over, open the top layer and it looks
exactly as in Figure 32, but it’s the other “compartment.” I’ve taken it

Figure 30

Figure 31
Figure 32

Figure 33
60 The Himber Wallet Book

just a step further, as I sometimes do—you can open the top layer to
the left, then the next (center) layer to the right, to display, apparently,
all surfaces! (Figure 33.) Place a card or a bill onto the center panel
and close the wallet (right panel in, then left panel in). Turn over the
package, and open it the same way—the card (or bill) is gone!

Afterthoughts: Get a couple of those application forms and “construct”

the emergency wallet. Who knows? You may want to use it often.
Incidentally, the Gold Card short application has five, rather than three,
sections or panels. If you cut off the two right sections of each of two
of them, you can use those as well. And, finally, if you like, and if you
do any routines where the center panel of the application is seen, you
can fill in some of the blanks—exactly the same on each side.
 ⟭
II
ESPecially for Bill-Fooled
DoublESP
Interlude
Second Impression
Choice And Chance
School Of Eventuality
Do As I Do
Imagination
Angle Fold
Currency Exchange
Oh, So Simple Currency Exchange
Interlude
 ESPecially for Bill-Fooled
T his appeared in both BEST OF BILL-FOOLED and THE
HUNDRED DOLLAR BOOK. In each case, I mistakenly used
triangle as one of the symbols instead of star. The “normal” ESP deck,
available in magic stores, consists of circle (1 continuous line), cross
(2 lines) wavy lines (3 lines), square (4 lines) and star (5 points), re-
peated five times. I’ve corrected that here and updated the writing only
a bit.
Make two double-faced cards out of ESP cards, showing every sym-
bol but the wavy lines (3). In other words, glue (say) a circle (1) and
a square (4) back to back, and then the star (5) and the cross (2)
back to back. Put these into your Himber Wallet, one on each side.
Familiarize yourself with the way they’re placed so that you can open
the wallet to show any one of the four without hesitation. (See Any
Number.)
Shuffle a regular deck of ESP cards. Let your spectator shuffle it.
As he does, place the wallet onto the table, in full view.
Table ribbon spread the ESP deck face up, and say, “There are five
different symbols here. (Point them out.) I’m going to ask you to push
any one of the symbols out of the spread. Please don’t rush; take your
time. I don’t want you to think that I’m trying to influence your choice.
For example, you may decide on the wavy lines, as many people do
(remove a wavy line card and demonstrate with it) and you’d remove
one of those and place it aside, like this. (Replace this card into the
spread, and continue). So, decide on one of the symbols.”
This bit of patter is, of course, designed to steer the spectator away
from the wavy lines. Don’t make an issue of saying “as many people
do”—say it casually, as a “throw-away.” This is enough to make most
people choose one of the other four.

63
64 The Himber Wallet Book

As soon as a symbol is chosen make it clear that the wallet has been
in full view from the beginning of the “experiment.” Tell your spec-
tator that you’d placed one symbol card into the wallet earlier, and
“believe it or not, you’ll find that I knew which symbol you would
choose.” As you talk, open the wallet so that it shows the correct
(matching) symbol. Place the card he removed alongside the one in
the wallet, and display both to the audience.

Afterthoughts: What if the psychology doesn’t work and your spectator

selects the wavy lines? Well, it will rarely happen, but to ease your mind,
it’s a simple “out.” He removes and places aside a wavy line card. Im-
mediately say, “Good, now please select another one.” He removes a
second symbol. “All right, take your time, and remove another one.
Please don’t let me influence you—we’ll use the symbol that you leave.”
After he’s removed four symbols, say, “Fine, you’ve eliminated the
wavy lines, the circle, the star and the cross; you’ve left the square.
You realize, of course, that you could have left any one of the five
symbols—the choice was entirely yours.” And so forth. As you talk,
pick up a square card and complete the effect as described.
This was not in either of the original books, but a magician’s choice
would work perfectly—and there’d be no wavy-line problem at all.
Have the spectator use both hands and take out a different symbol with
each. If he takes any two other than wavy lines, go into your buildup—
“Hand me either one of those and that will be your final selection”—
and end. If a wavy line is one of the two he originally picks up, say
(without hesitation), “Good. Now give me one.” Work accordingly. If
he gives you the other one (not the wavy lines)—“Fine; you’ve se-
lected the (say) star . . .” And end. If he gives you the wavy lines, im-
mediately and casually, drop it back onto the spread as your attention
remains on the card he still holds, and say, “Fine, you’ve selected the
(name the card he’s holding) . . .” And end. (See To A Startling End
for a more “specific” magician’s choice handling).
It’s a simple and basic effect, but I felt that it should be included.
For a much more complicated and better routine, go to DoublESP,
which follows.
 DoublESP
T his routine was performed for me. I was told to credit it to Albert
Spackman and Al Koran. I knew Al Koran (was introduced to him
by Richard Himber, as a matter of fact) but don’t know Albert Spackman.
Anyway, with credit to them, and with a couple of my own touches . . .
It would take too much space to tell you the effect (which is, basi-
cally, a double prediction of which ESP cards/designs will be freely
selected), so here’s preparation, method and effect all at the same time.
You’ll need some ESP cards, a couple of pay envelopes, two $1 dollar
bills, blank-on-both-sides business cards, your Himber Wallet of course,
and a minimum of two spectators. The two $1 bills should look alike;
same amount of use. On the face of one of them write or print: THIS
TIME YOU’LL SELECT THE STAR! Do it in a white space, perhaps
in red, so that it’s easily seen. Place this bill aside for the moment.
Place the duplicate $1 bill face down into the half pocket on one
side of the wallet. Nothing is written on this one. You can place it into
the half pocket unfolded; a bit more than half the bill will protrude. If
your wallet isn’t big enough fold the bill in half end for end, face in-
ward. This isn’t crucial, as you’ll see, as long as the “prediction” bill is
put in the other side the same way. Place an empty pay envelope into
that half pocket on top of the bill. And, on top of the envelope, place
five face-down ESP cards—one each of the circle, cross, wavy lines,
square, star. In the long pocket place four or five blank business cards.
You’ll want these to show when you open to the wallet’s other side, so
put them in with the ends pointing left/right instead of up/down. Now,
again, if this doesn’t work with your wallet, just put cards in both long
pockets. You may prefer that anyway, because then you can use your
“real” business cards. Let’s call this “side A.”
Close the wallet and open it to the other side (side B). Into the half
pocket place the “prediction” $1 bill. Obviously, it must look exactly

65
66 The Himber Wallet Book

like the bill on side A. On a business card, write or print, YOU WILL
SELECT THE CIRCLE. A small subtlety here—print YOO, then go
over the second O, making it a U, as if you made a mistake. This will
be duplicated later. Place this prediction into a pay envelope together
with an ESP circle card. Place the envelope on top of the $1 bill, to
look as it does on side A.
Finally, on top of the envelope, place four ESP cards, all with the star
symbol. Close the wallet. Be sure you know which is side A and which
is side B (they both look alike—you don’t want to fool yourself!).

Performance: Open the wallet to side A. Call attention to it, and remove
the five ESP cards, the pay envelope and one business card. Turn the
ESP cards face up as you ask a spectator to help you. Spread the face-up
cards, asking him (or her) to look at all the symbols while you write a
prediction. Build up the fact that you’ll let another person watch you
write the prediction. The wallet remains opened on the table.
Move to someone to left or right of the first spectator. (This is to give
you cover later for turning over the wallet—as you gesture toward him
with it. If you feel you’ll need that cover.) Let only this person watch
you print the prediction. Make it look as close to the one on the other
side as you can. Print the “YOO” and make sure he sees you go over the
O to make it a U. That’s the small subtlety—he’ll notice that later and
swear that it’s the prediction you wrote as he watched.
Insert the prediction card into a pay envelope and table it for the
moment. Turn the five ESP cards face down and mix them thoroughly.
You want to be sure that no one can follow the location of a symbol.
Table and spread the five face-down cards and ask the first spectator
to slide forward any one. Leave it face down, of course. Give him every
chance to change his mind (since it really is a free choice). Insert the
finally-selected card into the pay envelope with your prediction card
and slide the envelope into the wallet’s half pocket on top of the $1
bill. The remaining four ESP cards are placed into the pocket onto
the envelope. Close the wallet.
You can wait until you gesture toward the second spectator to se-
cretly turn over the wallet, side for side. But, lately, I’ve used a (small)
Harry Lorayne 67

flourishy handling as I table the wallet that seems to work well. It’s a
casual 3-beat, rhythmic, action and I always do it while I’m talking to
a spectator. Hold the open wallet on your open right hand; your thumb
under the right panel so that it can easily push/close that panel to the
left. Now, the three beats:
Beat 1: Close the wallet—your right thumb flipping/closing the
right panel onto the left panel—as the wallet is placed onto your left
fingers (Figure 34). Beat 2: Flip over the wallet, with your right fin-
gers, onto your left palm (Figure 35). Beat 3: Table the wallet (you

Figure 34

Figure 35
68 The Himber Wallet Book

can lightly toss it) as is with your left hand. There are no pauses be-
tween “beats.” Use this, or wait until you gesture; up to you.
Recap what’s happened. Gesture with wallet in hand, if you’re using
that “cover.” It’d be as you mention your “witness,” that you gesture
toward him and turn over the wallet. Open the wallet to side B, remove
the four ESP cards (these are all star cards) and table them face down.
Take out the pay envelope, open it, and remove only the ESP card. Table
it in front of the first spectator. Hand the envelope to your “witness.”
Let him remove your prediction card—ask him if that’s the prediction
he witnessed. He’ll answer “yes,” of course. Ask him to read it out loud.
He reads your “circle” prediction. Let spectator #1 turn over his selec-
tion (circle) so that everyone can see it—and so that everyone sees that
your prediction is right on! The open wallet is still on the table.
Pause, letting this correct prediction register. Then patter to the
effect that some may think this is just a coincidence. You’d like to prove
that it isn’t by doing it again. Take another business card out of the
wallet’s long pocket and write on it (no “witness” this time, although
you can use one if you like), CHECK THE OTHER SIDE OF THE
DOLLAR BILL! (See Afterthoughts.)
Put this prediction into the tabled pay envelope. Pick up the four
face-down ESP cards (the stars), mix them, and let your spectator select
one as before. Do the same buildup—he can change his mind, and so
on. Pick up the circle card, put it with the three remaining ESP cards,
and casually pocket them. Do as before—put the selected card into
the envelope with your prediction card and then into the half pocket
onto the $1 bill, which has been in view all this time. The wallet re-
mains open.
Recap; then—push the open wallet toward the spectator. This is
“clean”—no wallet turning. Ask him to take out the envelope and to
remove only your prediction. Let him read it out loud. Let him take
out the $1 bill to read (aloud) that he’ll select the star this time. Let
him take his selection out of the envelope and show it to all!

Afterthoughts: It’s a well-thought-out routine. Since it doesn’t matter

which card is selected each time, make an issue over those free choices.
Harry Lorayne 69

One thing that bothered me a bit is the lack of rationale for the $1 bill.
Why the prediction on the bill? Why not just on the business card as it
was the first time? So, I tried something that you may also want to try.
Instead of a $1 bill use a $10 or $20 bill. I don’t particularly like to
write on a bill, so—put a large self-stick label (or a Post It™) on its
face and print or type the following on it: THIS $10 BILL IS YOURS
IF YOU DID NOT SELECT THE STAR!
That’s it. When you go into the second phase, say something to the
effect that you’ll make it more interesting for him this time. When he
reads the prediction on the label or the Post It™, say, “Well, if that’s
not a star in there (indicate the pay envelope) then the bill is yours (or,
‘If that’s anything but a star . . .’). If it is a star—sorry, then the bill is
mine.” You want it to be clear, if you don’t want to lose ten dollars! He
takes out the star card—“Oh, sorry” as you pocket the bill!
I didn’t have much to do with my days in those days—my working
hours at Billy Reed’s Little Club were from 11pm to 3am or 4am. I’d
hang around with Dick Himber quite a bit. He was not easy to like!
I have the feeling that he worked at being disliked. An example:
Dick had a room at The Essex House in New York City. Cook-
ing was not permitted in the rooms, but Himber couldn’t care less.
He had a hot plate on which he cooked his meals. His mainstay—at
least it was all he ever served me—was hamburgers.
One day we went into a fancy, very expensive, butcher shop around
the corner from The Essex House. The place was crowded with
women doing their shopping. Dick Himber never waited on line—
not quietly, anyway.
He shouted, “Do you have any good filet mignon?” The proprietor
tried to ignore him, but that was impossible with Himber. He kept
shouting. Realizing that the best way to get Himber out of his hair
was to get him out of his hair, the proprietor said, “Yes, I do.”
Immune to the multitude of hostile stares from the other custom-
ers, Himber shouted, “Grind up four pounds.” The proprietor prac-
tically gasped, “Grind filet mignon?!”
“Yes,” answered Himber. When it was ground, he said, “Grind it
again.” This was done. The proprietor did his fancy wrapping of
the double-ground filet mignon and placed the package on the counter
in front of Himber, and said, “That’ll be twenty-four dollars.”
Himber slammed his palm down on the counter, and screamed
angrily, “Twenty-four dollars for hamburger meat!?” And stomped
out the store leaving the four pounds of fancily wrapped,
double-ground, filet mignon on the counter!
 Second Impression
S cott Wells contributed this excellent effect. He tells me that credit
for the basic idea goes to Paul Gertner. Scott’s “embellishment” is
the blank card and the use of a flash. The effect: A card is selected.
You refer to your wallet as a “magic copying machine,” and display
copies it has made of your right hand. A blank card (“film”) is folded
into the palm of the copy of your right hand; this goes into the magic
copying machine. In a flash of light, the selected card is copied onto
the blank card. But wait . . . there’s a “second impression”—the card
has also been photocopied onto the copy of your hand, onto the palm
that was seen to be empty only a moment ago!

Preparation: You’ll need your Himber Wallet, and—a FISM Flash. You
can, of course, perform this without the flash, or “work in” a flash via
flash paper; that’s up to you. And, a deck of cards, a matching dupli-
cate card, a double-blank (blank on both sides) card, and two photo-
copies of your right hand. The only “embellishment” I’ve contributed
is the use of either a duplicate card with a blank back, or the blank card
with a matching (the deck) back. All will clear up for you as you read.
First, I’d better explain the photocopies.
You need a machine that can copy a different image on each sur-
face of a sheet of paper. Or, you can use two sheets glued together
(see Afterthoughts). Okay; one sheet has the palm of your right hand,
fingers together, on one side and the back of that hand on the other
side. The images should be lined up as perfectly as possible so that
when held up to a light one hand is seen. Get as close as you can.
Then, make another copy, same thing—make them look alike but
this time a black spot card (say the 4C) is in the palm of the hand
(Figure 36; the reverse of this is the back of the hand, just as on the

71
72 The Himber Wallet Book

first copy). Place a “real” (duplicate) 4C face up onto the image 4C

and fold the paper around it. Triple fold as if folding a business let-
ter—bottom third up, top third down, then left and right sides in.
You may prefer to fold the sides in first, then the lower and upper
thirds up and down, respectively. Fold the other paper the same way.
Place these into the wallet, one on each side. Know which is where,
of course.
The wallet is in a pocket, the double-blank card can be in that same
pocket, or in another pocket. If your FISM Flash is hooked up (or your
flash paper prepared), you’re ready to go.

Presentation: Force the deck’s 4C. Then bring out the wallet—the
“magic copying machine.” Open it to remove the “normal” photocopy
of your hand. Unfold the paper to show the palmar side. Place it, that
side up, onto your open palm-up right hand. Then, hold the paper in
place with your left fingers as you turn your right hand palm down
onto the tabletop. Pull the paper to the left with your left hand, slid-
ing it out from under your right hand, to expose the copy of the back
of your hand alongside the back of your hand (Figure 37). As you show

Figure 36
Harry Lorayne 73

the paper front and back, say, “The machine makes perfect copies—
front . . . and back.”
Continue—“Let me demonstrate for you.” Bring out the blank card,
calling it “sensitive paper.” Show both sides, then place it into the
“palm” of the photocopy. Fold the paper around the card the same
way as the prepared “package” and replace into the wallet. Close the
wallet, take the spectator’s selection (4C) and place it face down onto
the wallet.
Move the wallet and card to in front of your chest as you say that
the magic copying machine makes perfect copies in about five sec-
onds. As you say this, trigger the flash. (Or use flash paper for the “light”
you need. You can simply light a cigarette lighter under the “machine”
for a split second. I’ll leave the “flash” part to you.) Say, “That’s it—
it’s done.”
Open to the wallet’s other side. (It’s no problem to secretly turn the
wallet as you move it to, then away from, your chest.) Remove the
copy with the duplicate card folded within. Unfold the paper being
careful not to prematurely expose the copy of the 4C on the copy of
your palm. Do let the card that was blank (just keep it on the on-paper
copy) be seen to now have a “perfect photocopy” of the 4C on it.
Continue to hold the card against the paper, covering the on-paper

Figure 37
74 The Himber Wallet Book

copy, with one hand as you hold and display the selected card along-
side to confirm that your copy is “true.”
Let this sink in. Then—“The magic copying machine is so power-
ful that care must be taken. It will sometimes make a second impres-
sion!” Move aside the 4C (the “real” one and the blank-card “copy”)
to reveal the image copied on the copy of your palm (Figure 38)!

Afterthoughts: I’m assuming you know how to copy palm of hand on

one surface and back of hand on the other surface of the same sheet of
paper. On the Xerox copier in my office I put my right hand palm down
on the glass, remembering exact position, and make the copy. Put that
sheet back on top of those in the paper bin, blank side up. Then place
your right hand back down to the same position, and make the copy.
Repeat on another sheet, but for the “palm” copy, this time, place a
4C face down, then place your hand palm down onto (over) it. Copy.
And—now you see why I suggested a duplicate 4C with a blank
back. It makes more sense since you’ve displayed a double blank. The
copy is done on one side, therefore the other side should still be blank.

Figure 38
Harry Lorayne 75

Or—use a blank card with a matching-the-deck back. This, too, makes

sense. When you display it, let the back be seen. Then, at the end, when
you show the duplicate 4C (face and back for this) it appears as if only
the blank surface has been “exposed” and printed. I’m sure you’ll sup-
ply your own presentation. This is the kind of thing that audiences
will remember and talk about!
 Choice And Chance
S ome years ago I was told about an effect using the Himber Wallet
in which two cards were predicted. A gaffed deck is what made it
happen. I didn’t want to use a gaffed deck (although there is a quite
similar idea in BEST OF BILL-FOOLED) so I thought about it for a
while. I came up with what follows. After devising the routine, I learned
that the effect that inspired me is a Stephen Minch idea. It appeared
in his Sensational Mentalism, Part 4, and then in his Mind Melds. It uses
what is usually referred to as the Koran deck. Stephen’s method/rou-
tine follows this routine.
This makes use of a regular deck; assume it’s blue backed for this
explanation. (And it will take a bit of explaining.) The “core” idea is
from Any Number—the idea of using eight vital cards rather than four
vital cards. Besides the Himber Wallet, you’ll need eight red-backed
cards and two double-sided pay envelopes. (Double facers can be used;
they’d eliminate the envelopes but you wouldn’t be as clean at the end.)
The red-backed cards are: 2S, 4S, 9H, 10H (note that these are al-
most the example cards I use throughout this book, but the 9H works
better than the 8H), 6S, JS, 5H, AH.
Set up the envelopes and the wallet like this: Place the 2S and 9H
into one side of a double-sided envelope—the 4S and 10H into the
other side. Place this envelope into one side of the wallet. Then place
the AH and JS into one side of the other double envelope, and the 5H
and 6S into the other side of that envelope. This second envelope is
placed into a jacket pocket. The envelopes are sealed.
Yes, you’ll have to remember how to open the wallet and the enve-
lopes, later, to show a specific pair of cards. You might want to pencil
dot one side of each envelope to tell you which pair of cards is in that
particular side. I have to leave this to you.

76
Harry Lorayne 77

And in the regular blue-backed deck, set the duplicates of the eight
red cards in the order given three paragraphs ago, from top down: 2S,
4S, 9H, 10H, 6S, JS, 5H, AH. You’re ready . . .

To Perform: Bring the sealed envelope out of your pocket. Explain that
there’s a prediction inside. Open the Himber Wallet to its empty side
and put the envelope there “for safe keeping.” (Yes, of course, have a
few checks or bills in the long pocket that show the same[?] surface
whichever way the wallet is opened.) Table the closed wallet off to
one side, but in full view.
Now, one of the benefits of this method is that there’s plenty of lee-
way for shuffling the deck. Do so—keeping the eight vital cards on
top. As part of the thorough shuffling, do an out faro. The easiest way
(for me) is to straddle faro a small top batch (more than eight cards) to
center of the large portion. Interlace about an inch and a half. Pull out
the small portion with the cards that that portion has “caught” and move
the elongated packet to the top. Cascade/flush.
It’s done (see Figures 14 and 15 in Five Star Miracle). The point is
to alternate the eight vital cards; the 2S is the top card of the deck. If
you prefer, pre-set the eight cards to alternating positions, then the
faro isn’t needed. I want to do it.
Turn the deck face to you, and as if you’re removing “just” a batch
of cards, remove the top sixteen cards. Easy; the AH is 15th from top;
just cut at the card after that. Place aside the deck proper.

Patter: “There are more than enough cards here for you to have a good
choice.” And stress that no one, at the moment, knows which cards
are in this batch. Casually mix these cards as you patter. That is, com-
plete cut the packet. And do a Charlier Shuffle or two. This is a per-
fect illusion of mixing when done with a small packet, and it only
complete cuts the packet.
Briefly: Push off a few top cards with your left thumb, taking them
with your right hand. With your left fingers push some bottom cards onto
the right-hand cards. With your left thumb, push a few top cards to
78 The Himber Wallet Book

beneath the right-hand cards. Your left fingers push some bottom cards
onto the right-hand cards, and your left thumb pushes some remain-
ing top cards to beneath the right-hand cards. Continue this way until
there are no more cards in your left hand. Do it fairly rapidly, casu-
ally, and not too neatly and, so far as your spectators are concerned,
those cards are mixed. I usually go through the packet twice. Then you
can let the spectator who’ll be helping you cut the cards.
Then, he holds the face-down packet. Tell him to move one card
at a time from top to bottom. He’s to continue to do this for as long as
he likes; he stops whenever he likes. This is all true, so build it. Since
he’s “ducking” cards to the bottom, he can even move more than six-
teen cards; the cards keep recycling, so it doesn’t matter.
When he stops, take the packet and turn it face up; immediately
say either “This is the card you stopped at,” or—“If you’d moved one
card less, this one would have been your choice . . .” Flip the packet
face down and point to its top card, if you make the latter statement.
“. . . But you stopped here.” Turn the top card face up so all (includ-
ing you) can see it.
What’s happened here is: When you turn the packet face up, you
note the face (bottom) card. If it’s one of your eight vital cards, that’s
the card he stopped at. If it isn’t one of your vital cards, flip the packet
face down, and the top card is the card at which he stopped. Yes, you
need to recognize the face card without hesitation, and make your re-
mark immediately, and naturally. Table the forced “vital” card face up.
Now, that card has to “locate” the one proper card, its “partner,” so
that your prediction comes out right. And, incidentally, you can open
the wallet now, as you remind your audience that the envelope con-
tains your prediction. You can remove the envelope and pocket the
wallet—it’s forgotten. Or use the pencil/pen idea and leave the wal-
let on the table. Later, your spectator will open it to the proper side.
Or, don’t open the wallet at this point. You’ll have to make these pre-
sentation decisions yourself. (I like to get the wallet out of the way as
soon as I can. Let the “magic” happen without the wallet in sight.)
Stephen Minch’s presentation is to remove the envelope and hand it
to the spectator. Patter: “Please hold this envelope, that I showed you
Harry Lorayne 79

before we started, for me. If I had placed only one card in that envelope
and if it matches the card you decided on—that’d be pretty good. The
odds against it are unbelievably high. But, I’ve sealed two cards from a
different deck in that envelope; my two prediction cards. And, the odds
against matching one of your selections are high, but the odds against
matching two selections don’t double, they multiply enormously.”
Pause for a beat or two, for effect. “I’m willing to forge ahead against
those odds, however. This card (point to the face-up, tabled vital card)
was your choice. Now let’s find another card by pure chance. What I’d
like you to do is spell . . .”
Remembering/recognizing the bottom (face) card was (is) the easy
part. Now you have to know (remember) what to do, how to spell, for
each one of the eight vital cards so that it locates its prediction “part-
ner.” You must, of course, do it as if it’s what you’d do no matter what
the stopped-at card is, and without your thinking showing. You have
two spelling choices/methods for each card. You can do the spelling
yourself or let your spectator do it. It’s probably stronger to let the
spectator do it.
If the tabled card is the 2S: You can spell “t-w-o” from the top of
the face-down packet and use the next card, the 9H. Or spell
t-w-o-o-f-s-p-a-d-e-s from the top of the face-up packet; the next card
is the 9H. The 9H is the 2S’s “partner,” because the 2S and 9H are in
one side of your envelope. I prefer to let the spectator spell by duck-
ing one card per letter from top to bottom of the packet, as he did when
making the first selection. When he spells the 2S with the packet face
up, he ends with the 9H staring up at him (Figure 39).
It’s not too difficult to make it look as if it’s what you’d do no mat-
ter which card is the first “choice”—because it’s pretty much the truth
of the matter.
If the tabled card is the 9H: Perfect. Spell n-i-n-e using the face-up
packet, or n-i-n-e-o-f-h-e-a-r-t-s from the face-down packet. Either
way will reach the 2S right on.
If the first card is the 4S: Also perfect. Spell f-o-u-r-o-f-s-p-a-d-e-s
from the face-up packet or f-o-u-r from the face-down packet, to reach
the 10H, which is its “partner.”
80 The Himber Wallet Book

Figure 39

If the first card is the 10H: Let the spectator spell t-e-n from the
face-up packet and use the next card, or spell t-e-n-o-f-h-e-a-r-t-s
from the face-down packet and use the next card, to reach the 4S. The
reasoning (or presentation) is the same as for the 2S.
And, if the first card is the 6S, do exactly the same as for the 2S, but
spell out “six” or “six of spades,” of course. The 5H is the “partner”
reached.
If the tabled card is the 5H: Do as for the 9H—spelling “five” or
“five of hearts.” You’ll reach the 6S.
If the first card is the JS: Do as for the 4S, spelling “jack” or “jack of
spades” in order to reach the AH.
If the first card is the AH: Do as you did for the 10H, except that
you’d spell “ace” or “ace of hearts” to reach the JS.
That’s it, and you’ll be surprised at how quickly this will all fall into
place for you, how easy it is to remember. Just do it a few times. It’s
also interesting to note that four of the eight vital cards do spell di-
rectly to their “partners.”
Build to the ending. The two selections—choice and chance—are
face up on the table. Pick up the envelope and open it to the proper
side if you’re using two back-to-back envelopes; or just take out the
two proper cards from the correct side, if you’re using the one-sheet
divider in each of the regular envelopes. Once you’ve removed the
two proper cards, pocket the envelope. Show the cards’ red backs, then
show their faces. The double prediction is correct!
Harry Lorayne 81

Afterthoughts: Drop your prediction cards onto the table; leave them
there. As mentioned briefly at the top, if you use double-faced cards
they can be left loose, two at each side of the wallet. At the end, you’d
open the wallet properly to show the two correct prediction cards. This
is basically the same as in Any Number and in Five Star Miracle.
The advantage in using double facers is that you don’t have to bother
with pay envelopes. The disadvantages are that the presentation is not
quite as strong and that you can’t leave the prediction cards on the
table after you display them at the end. I would lean toward the enve-
lope idea. As mentioned, one sheet of paper—a divider—in the enve-
lope gives you two compartments, as does two envelopes glued back
to back.
Other sets of cards can be used; work it out however you like. The
idea, basically, is that the “sets” or “partners” are spelled with the same
number of letters. I used the eight cards in the text for a long time, so
those are the ones I’ll always use. (Which cards are used doesn’t re-
ally matter.) There’s no more thinking involved if you do the effect
often. After a while you’ll just know what to do for any one of the eight
vital cards. Don’t decide if you’ll use this method until you’ve read
the following.
 School Of Eventuality
N ow, here’s Stephen Minch’s method/routine. You’ll need the Ko-
ran forcing deck. It consists of 49 rather than 52 cards; 24 cards
are force cards—six duplicate groups of four force cards. The other
25 cards are mixed indifferent cards. You know, by now, the force cards
I like to use. I’ll use Stephen’s idea of referring to those four force cards
as A, B, C and D. X’s will represent indifferent cards.
Arrange as follows: The force cards are set into six groups of four;
the four force cards are all in order, rotating ABCD, ABCD, and so
forth. Of course, you know (remember) the names of the force cards and
their order of rotation. Now, place an X card on top, one between the
A and B, one between the B and C, between the C and D, then be-
tween the D and A—and continue that way until you end up with an
X card at bottom. (“In” faro the 24 force cards perfectly into the 25 X
cards, and you’re set.) Make the top card an easy-to-remember card,
like the joker or the AS (if that isn’t one of your force cards). If you
hold this deck face up, from face to rear: XDXCXBXAXDXCXBXA
XDXCXBXA . . . XBXA, Joker.
Check this out and you’ll see that ten cards would be dealt before
reaching the first duplicate (force) card; there are seven cards between
duplicates. The point is that you don’t have to worry about duplicates
being noticed. That’s the forcing deck. Now, get duplicates of the four
force cards with contrasting back designs (if your deck is red backed
use four blue-backed duplicates here). Place duplicates A and B into
a pay envelope, seal the envelope; C and D in another envelope and
seal. One envelope is on one side of the Himber Wallet, the other
envelope is on the other side. Pencil mark one envelope so that you
know which is which.

82
Harry Lorayne 83

Performance: Bring out the wallet, open to show one envelope, then close
the wallet and table it. Show the deck—do a casual (and fairly quick)
hand to hand spread to display the “normal” cards, square and hand
the face-up deck to a cooperative spectator. Tell him to deal the cards
one at a time into a face-up tabled packet—and to stop whenever he
likes. When he stops, tell him that he may change his mind and con-
tinue dealing, if he wants to. When he finally stops, a force card must
be either on top of the tabled cards or on top of his in-hand cards.
Stress the impossibility of predicting two cards, then bring out a die.
The second vital force card is “reached by chance” with the die, in-
stead of spelling, as in the preceding. Let the spectator roll the die a
few times to see that it’s a normal die, different numbers come up.
Then, a final roll, and the number that comes up “locates” another
card—the vital force card, of course.
All right; if his first card is A, you have to get to B; if the first card is
B, you have to reach A; and of course C needs D, D needs C. If you
know where the “partner” cards lie for each, there’s no problem here.
There are two face-up deck portions involved. The packet he dealt
to the table and the non-dealt (usually larger) portion. This may read
complicated, but it isn’t. If the first card is A or C, B and D are at 2nd
from face of “undealt,” and 6th from face of “dealt,” respectively. If
the first card is B or D, A and C are at same as above (2nd and 6th),
respectively. Truth is, if you know the arrangement (sequence) of the
four vital cards, a second or two of thought will tell you where the
“partner” cards lie.
So, if a “1” or “2” is rolled: Pick up the portion that has the partner
card 2nd from face. Deal “1” and indicate the next card, or deal right
to two. If the number is “5” or “6,” pick up the proper portion, deal five
cards from face and use the next card, or count right to the 6th card
from face.
The “problem” numbers are “3” and “4.” Well, when the specta-
tor stops rolling/checking the die, and if anything but “3” or “4” is
up, use that. If a “3” or “4” shows, say that now that he’s satisfied, he’s
to do one final roll. Odds are that now a 1, 2, 5 or 6 will show. If,
84 The Himber Wallet Book

however, a 3 or 4 comes up again, Stephen uses a Phil Goldstein

stratagem:
“To assure that we reach a totally random number, place a finger
on top of the die and tip in once in any direction.” That’s it. Since the
3 and 4 are opposite each other on a die, he can only reach a 1, 2, 5 or
6 when he tips the die. Continue as explained, using the “tipped to”
number, to reach the correct partner card.

Afterthoughts: A simple concept, really. You force one predicted card

with the forcing deck—name it, of course—then a “chance” number
forces the second predicted card. Stephen keeps the joker on top to
enable him to reset quickly. When gathering the deck after the effect,
drop the face-up undealt portion onto the face-up dealt portion, and
place into the cardcase. Later, cut to bring the joker to top. Only the
lower portion of the (now face-down) deck has to be re-arranged for
the next performance.
For this method you can use any four cards as the force cards be-
cause no spelling is involved. You need to decide which is better for
you, Choice And Chance or School Of Eventuality.
 Do As I Do
T he basic effect: Two decks are in play—one red backed, the other
blue backed. Your spectator selects a deck and shuffles it; you
take the other deck and shuffle that. You pull a card out of the center
of your deck, show it to all, then put it into your wallet. The spectator
selects a card from his deck “the hard way,” without looking. The card
is placed into the wallet with your selection. Buildup . . . the wallet is
opened and it is seen that the spectator matched your card, they’re
both (say) 4H’s!
There is, of course, lots of room for buildup with this kind of effect.
You can perform it with a “you, too, can be a magician” theme. The
spectator can find the “right” card without looking, and so forth.
The preparation is simple. Let’s assume that you will be using the
red-backed deck (yes, you’ll force the spectator to use the blue deck).
Place a duplicate red-backed (say) 4H into one side of the Himber
Wallet. The in-play red deck’s 4H remains in the deck. Then remove
the 4H from the blue deck and place it with the duplicate red-backed
4H, both in the same side of the wallet. The only other preparation is
to either get the red-backed 4H to top of its deck, or pencil dot it at
two diagonal corners (of its back). You’re going to force the 4H on
yourself.
All right, to perform: Shuffle both decks, keeping the 4H on top of
the red deck. (I use my own Status Quo Shuffle out of RIM SHOTS,
of course.) Table both decks, place your wallet between or near them
(see Afterthoughts). Ask your spectator to indicate one of the decks. If
he points to the blue deck, say, “Fine, pick it up; I’ll use the other deck.”
If he points to the red deck, immediately say, “Okay, that’s the deck
I’ll use.” Either way, you “get” the red deck while making it appear as
if it’s his (or her) choice.

85
86 The Himber Wallet Book

He picks up the blue deck, you pick up the red deck. Tell him to
shuffle his deck as you shuffle yours. Of course, again, you keep the
4H on top. If you’ve pencil dotted it, you obviously don’t have to keep
it on top. You can really shuffle, or let your spectator shuffle, both
decks.
Then, instruct him to watch you because in a moment he’s to do
just as you do. The way I force the card on myself (if it’s on top) is—
I do an overhand jog shuffle without completing it. That is, I stop shuf-
fling when the 4H is at center with an injogged card directly above it.
Then I “openly” reach into center deck—really directly under the
jogged card—and pull out “any” card. I pull out the 4H, of course
(Figure 40). If your 4H is pencil dotted, just do a wide face-down table
ribbon spread, and slide out the marked card, as if you’re taking any
card.
Show the card—“Well, I’ve taken the four of hearts; please look at
it and concentrate on it for a moment.” Then, open the wallet to its
empty side, place the face-down 4H there, and close the wallet. (You
can use the pencil, pen or wand idea here, placing it into the wallet
with the 4H as you table it—if you have a rationale for doing so. Again,
see my Afterthoughts.) Or, tuck in the flap, if your wallet has a flap.

Figure 40
Harry Lorayne 87

Now instruct your spectator to do with his deck what you just did.
He either pulls a card out of center or slides one out of a tabled spread.
Don’t let its face be seen. Place it into the wallet with the 4H. (If you’re
using the pencil idea, you can let him open the wallet—that’s the point.
Let him close the wallet.) Table the wallet, secretly turning it over as
you do. Or, you can turn it later, if you prefer.
All that remains is your buildup. Then open the wallet to its other
side to expose the two cards, one red backed and the other blue backed.
Turn over (your) red-backed card first, the 4H. Then slowly turn over
the blue-backed card (or let the spectator do it)—it’s the 4H!

Afterthoughts: I always like to use some kind of rationale for bringing

out the wallet. There are always choices, of course. For this effect you
can have a folded paper in either the long pocket (if your wallet is cut
properly for that paper to show on both sides), both long pockets, or
both half pockets. Say that this is your prediction. At the end, let your
spectator read it; it says something like—“YOU WILL MATCH MY
CARD WITH YOUR CARD.” Anything to rationalize the use of the
wallet.
Or, use a $10 or $100 bill in any of the ways just mentioned for the
folded (or non-folded) prediction. Or utilize the Angle Fold as taught
in this book. At the end, before you turn up the two cards, you can say
(something like): “I know you’re a great magician. I’m so sure you’ll
match my card that if you don’t, this $10 (or $100) bill is yours.” Re-
peat—anything to rationalize the use of the wallet.
The same goes for, say, a pencil. You can have the written predic-
tion in the side of the wallet with the two 4H’s. During performance,
after you place your randomly(?) selected card into the wallet, you
can say that you want to make a prediction. Write it, leave it in the
wallet with the one 4H, and casually leave the pencil inside as you
close the wallet around it. You’ve “rationalized” the pencil. I’ll leave
these presentation details to you.
If you don’t care about showing the card you randomly select, the
preparation is simplified. Just take the 4H out of both decks and put
88 The Himber Wallet Book

them into one side of the wallet—that’s all. Now both selections are
completely random. It doesn’t matter what the cards are because
they’re both placed into the empty side of the wallet. To end, the wallet
is opened to the other side and the two 4H’s are displayed. I prefer to
do it as explained in the text. The extra bit of preparation is worth it.
 Imagination
L arry Becker devised, uses and contributed this excellent “invis-
ible coin” effect. He sent it to me in one short paragraph. What
follows is my “version” of the effect.
Write out two predictions. One reads, THE ENGLISH PENNY
WILL LAND HEADS UP! The other reads, THE ENGLISH
PENNY WILL LAND TAILS UP! Place one into each side of your
Himber Wallet. Since there’s really only one prediction (see After-
thoughts) on one side of each card, you can use your business cards,
and give one away when the effect is over. It’s also preferable to seal
each prediction in a pay envelope.
Select a helper, and ask him to empty one of his outside jacket pock-
ets. Then tell him to imagine that he has three invisible coins in that
pocket—an American half dollar, a copper English penny and a Chi-
nese coin with a hole through its center. Tell him to get those locked
in his mind. As he does, bring out your wallet. Say that it contains a
sealed prediction concerning something unusual that is about to hap-
pen. You can flash the prediction if you like.
Now, into a magician’s choice to force the English penny. Ask your
helper to remove one of the “coins” from his pocket, and to call out
which one it is. You have to “work” accordingly, of course. If he says
he’s removed the English penny, that’s it. Say, “Toss it to me.” Pre-
tend to catch it, and go into the ending. But, let’s go with the other
scenarios first, which can end up being the better scenarios because
they allow for a gag or two.
Assume he says he’s holding the Chinese coin. Tell him to toss it to
someone to his right. Tell that person to keep it as a souvenir. Tell
the helper to bring out another coin, and to say which it is. Assume he

89
90 The Himber Wallet Book

says it’s the American half dollar. Instruct him to toss that to a person
at his left—another souvenir.
“Let’s use the coin you decided to hold on to. Please bring it out.
Which coin is it?” He says it’s the English penny. You say, “Toss it to
me.” Now let’s go back a step. If the helper says that the second coin
he takes out of his pocket is the English penny, you immediately say,
“Toss it to me and . . . you can keep the remaining half dollar as a
souvenir.”
So, no matter what, he tosses the imaginary English penny to you.
Catch it, then pantomime tossing it up into the air, catching it and
slapping it onto the back of your other hand. Ask your helper to look
at the coin and to say whether it landed head up or tail up. He de-
cides. You repeat—for example, “Okay then, you decided on the En-
glish penny, and you decided that it landed (say) tail-side up. Look.”
Open your wallet to the correct envelope; hand it to your helper as
you close and casually pocket the wallet. He removes your predic-
tion and reads it aloud. It’s correct, of course!

Afterthoughts: Plenty of room for entertainment, and it does fool your

audiences. Since the Himber Wallet has the basic capability to show
any one of four predictions, why not take advantage of that? Easy
enough, but it can take away some of the byplay with your spectators
and you can’t handle the actual predictions quite as cleanly. But, it
can be more magical, more direct.
Use either double envelopes or blank-on-both-side cards. Predict
the, say, English penny heads and tails on one side of the wallet, and
the Chinese coin heads and tails on the other side. Now, if he brings
out either of these at first, make an issue over his free choice, and so
forth; have him toss it to you—and end.
If he brings out the American half dollar (this example), immedi-
ately tell him to toss it to someone as a souvenir. Then, “You’ll get a
souvenir, too. I’ll ask you to bring out another coin—and that’s the one
we’ll use. You may keep the one you leave in your pocket. Your choice
now. Remember, the one you bring out is the one we’ll use.” Since
Harry Lorayne 91

your predictions cover either remaining coin, you might just as well
build the heck out of it! End as taught, displaying the correct predic-
tion, of course.
There are so many ways to go with the idea. You can do it as a
“straight” effect; that is, eliminate the “invisible” coin concept. Place
the three actual coins onto the table and do a “normal” magician’s
choice. You can do it with four different coins and still force only one,
or one of two (if you’re doing the four-predictions version). See my
magician’s choice method in The HW Book Test, Not So Special
Object and, most valuable, To A Startling End. To repeat—there are
many ways to go with the idea.
 Angle Fold
T his is Doug Edwards’ idea for placing a $1 bill into the wallet’s
long side (right panel) so that it looks the same on both sides, no
matter which way you open the wallet. A $1, $10 or $100 bill works
better than a $5, $20 or $50 bill. It does seem a bit silly to have only a
$1 bill in the wallet, unless you rationalize it somehow. A $100 (or
foreign) bill would, perhaps, make more sense.
What makes it “work” is the angle of the fold. Fold a $1 bill in half
end to end, reverse (green) surface outward. But don’t fold it evenly—
angle the upper half slightly to the right. The lower-left corner of the
lower half should protrude to the left perhaps a touch more than a
quarter of an inch. I’ve found that that “measurement” works best for
me (Figure 41). However, according to the way your wallet’s long
pocket is cut, up to a half inch may work better. Place this folded bill
into center of the long pocket so that the “angle folded” inner-left

Figure 41

92
Harry Lorayne 93

corner shows. The white margin of the upper half plus a very narrow
“slice” of the green should show (Figure 42).
That’s basically it. Some adjustment will be necessary, because—
when you open the wallet to the other side, you’ll see the angle fold,
but the “picture” of the whole bill will be a little “off.” That is, not
exactly as it appears on the other side.
What you have to do is to keep adjusting a little bit at a time until
you get both sides to look as alike as possible. I don’t think you’ll get
them to look exactly alike, but close enough is good enough. It’s not
the kind of thing that you allow spectators to look at too long or
too closely—it’s a “subliminal” kind of thing. The onlookers see it;
what registers is that they (think they) see the same side of bill and
wallet.

)_

I’m reminded of a similar idea—one that I did mention fleetingly all

those years ago in the “Suggestion” section of BEST OF BILL-
FOOLED. It uses two bills.
Put two $1 bills together, align them, facing the same way. Then
fold the two of them in half, together, end to end, reverse (green) side
out, Washington’s pictures inside.

Figure 42
94 The Himber Wallet Book

Then, pull out the inner bill, at the end, about half an inch. This is
at the end, the short end, not to the left or right at a long side.
Slide the two bills, as they are, into the Himber Wallet’s long pocket,
leaving about a half inch (or a touch less) of the left long side protrud-
ing. That’s all (Figure 43 makes it all clear).
Open the wallet one way, then the other. You’ll see that the bills
look (almost) exactly alike either way. The digit “1” with the word
“one” across it shows (twice) on either side. The words at the left look
the same but are slightly different. One side shows “ates of America,”
the other side shows “The United Sta”. Again, this is never noticed—
because you never point it out, or allow enough time for it to register.
(You can, of course, slide the bills into the long pocket with the short
ends pointing down, instead of up. The concept is the same.)
In most cases, it’s done beforehand. If you want to do it during an
effect, that’s easy enough. Fold the two bills as explained, then as you
slide them into the long pocket, sort of accidentally—or on purpose—
pull out/the inner bill, also as explained.

Afterthoughts: Throughout the book I mention the idea of keeping some-

thing in that long pocket that looks the same on both sides of the wal-

Figure 43
Harry Lorayne 95

let. The two ideas explained here certainly “fill the bill” (no pun in-
tended). Of course, it could be any of a number of things—a
double-faced card (same card on each side), a double-sided bill,
double-sided check, double-sided photograph, and so forth. They’re
all fine, as are the two text ideas.
I remember, years ago, gluing a postage stamp at an angle near the
top left corner of the (on the) long pocket. Then doing the same on
the other side (with a duplicate stamp, of course). The silly “rationale”
was—I’d fleetingly mention that I don’t keep stamps in here anymore,
because sometimes they get stuck, like this one did. That’s all—I’d
not mention it again. But it set the idea that the spectators were see-
ing the same side whenever I opened the wallet. I stopped using that,
but perhaps it’s not such a bad idea after all.
 Currency Exchange
H ere’s Phil Goldstein’s approach to the classic Tom Sellers
plot—Just Chance or Bank Night. Effect: You (performer) open
your wallet to show four small (beige) pay envelopes and one larger
white envelope. Your patter is along these lines—“I’d like to try a
simple game of chance between myself and three of you.” Three
spectators are selected; they’re designated #1, #2 and #3. “One of
these small pay envelopes contains a $20 bill. The other three each
contain only a slip of paper. Each player will select an envelope. To
keep everything aboveboard, I’ll take the remaining envelope. Then,
each of you will exchange his (or her) envelope with any one of the
others, including mine. Again, to keep things out of my control, I
will go last. And, to make this even more interesting, I’ve forecast my
involvement on a sheet of paper sealed in this larger white envelope.
Oh, and whoever ends up with the envelope with the $20 bill in it
gets to keep the money.”
Remove the four small pay envelopes, leave the larger white enve-
lope in the wallet, which is closed and tabled. The pay envelopes
are tabled in a row. One at a time, each helper takes one. The re-
maining one is yours—don’t touch it, it is left on the table in full
view.
Tell spectator #1 to exchange his/her envelope with any one of
the other “players”—that includes your envelope, the one on the table.
Spectator #2 then #3 also make their exchanges. Then—“Okay; I told
you that I’d go last. I also told you that I made my decision—deter-
mined my action—some time ago.” Open the wallet, remove the large
white envelope. Inside the envelope is a sheet of paper and on it is
written, “I’ll exchange envelopes with player number two.” Do just
that.

96
Harry Lorayne 97

The envelopes are opened. The three spectators find blank pieces
of paper in their envelopes. Your envelope, which you haven’t touched,
is opened last, by a spectator. The $20 bill is inside!

Method: The four pay envelopes are ordinary except that the one with
the $20 (or whatever denomination you want to use) bill is marked in
a subtle way that should be noticeable only to you. (A nail nick or
pencil dot is the usual.) The point is that you can keep track of it dur-
ing the spectators’ various choices and exchanges. Each of the other
three contain a blank piece of paper (or there’s a message on each, like
“Sorry—maybe next time”).
Two larger white envelopes are double envelopes. This gives you
room for four “messages,” of course. One says that you’ll exchange
envelopes with helper #1, another “with helper #2,” and another “with
helper #3.” The fourth message reads: I PREDICT THAT IF I KEEP
THE ENVELOPE I HAVE, I’LL WIN THE GAME.” Word these
however you like. One of the double envelopes is on one side of your
Himber Wallet along with the four pay envelopes. The other is by
itself and unseen on the wallet’s other side. Of course, you know which
is where—and where each message is.
Remove the four pay envelopes from the wallet, and so forth. Fol-
low along as in “effect.” After spectator #3 makes his exchange, you
need only know where the vital envelope is in order to know which
white envelope to take out of the wallet, and which message to take
out of the envelope. That’s it.

Afterthoughts: You can, if you prefer, keep one of the larger white en-
velopes in a pocket. Then, when you open the wallet to the side with
the four pay envelopes, take it out of your pocket, as you mention
it, and put it into the wallet with the pay envelopes, to proper posi-
tion.
Phil uses some deliberate ambiguity in the opening patter. It’s what
helps the effect to “work.” The phrase, “I’ve forecast my involvement”
is important to use. The statement can be taken to mean that you in-
98 The Himber Wallet Book

tended to exchange your envelope (three out of four times that’s what
happens), or that you never intended to make an exchange (one out
of four times). More often than not, your spectators will “remember”
that you made an even more explicit statement at the start.
The odds are probably only three to one, but the routine is put
together in such a way that it appears as if you’ve controlled the out-
come of many choices. It appears as if the “game entails many actional
steps,” in Phil’s words, and that you have to contend with each indi-
vidual action. It’s an impressive routine. “I can tell you from experi-
ence,” says Phil, “that Currency Exchange plays very nicely as a stage
piece, for a rather large audience.”
 Oh, So Simple
Currency Exchange
T his is probably the easiest “Bank Night” effect you can perform.
Have three or four pay envelopes, each with a blank piece of
paper in it, in one side of the Himber Wallet. On the other side place
one of the same kind of envelope but with either a $50 or $100 bill in
it. That’s the preparation.
Build to it however you like. Then open the wallet to show the three
or four envelopes. Let two spectators (if there are three envelopes)
each take an envelope—or three spectators (if there are four enve-
lopes) each take an envelope. Absolutely free choices in each case. And,
in each case, say that the remaining envelope will be yours.
After they’ve made their choices, leaving one envelope in the wal-
let, close the wallet, but don’t turn it over yet. Ask if they’re satisfied
with their choices. Say that they can exchange with each other, if they
like, and/or exchange with you. If one of them wants to exchange with
you, open the wallet to the same side—the “blank” envelope. There’s
room for both buildup and entertainment here.
When all exchanges, if any, have been made, re-capitulate what has
occurred. As you gesture, secretly turn over the wallet. Then, go into
the ending.
I’d suggest that you open the wallet and take out “your” envelope—
then, as you continue talking, casually pocket the wallet. Now, you’re
“clean.” Let the spectators open their envelopes to find blank pieces
of paper. Open your envelope, or let a spectator do it, to show that
you have the $100 bill!

99
100 The Himber Wallet Book

Afterthoughts: Not much more I can tell you about this. It is an “oh so
simple” Bank Night effect. Your biggest chore will be to decide which
to use, this or the preceding.
I’d been doing my memory act for a year or two. I carried two large
regular blackboards (one for the “objects and hiding places” stunt —
people would call a number, and object, and a silly hiding place. They’d
be written on the blackboard [by Renée], and one for a giant card
memory thing I did), two clumsy tripods, and heavy metal carrying
cases. They got heavier and heavier; I started to feel like “Death of a
Salesman,” carrying a heavy blackboard under each arm.
So, one day, having a sandwich in Schrafft’s, on 42nd Street (one
of Himber’s favorite hangouts), I mentioned this to Dick. He imme-
diately paid the bill and dragged me to a luggage place on 32nd Street.
I’d never heard of the place; seems that was where Dick had a lot of
his props made—the wallets, and other items.
Anyway, there were the brothers, Rocky, Johnny and Danny—
all standing ready to help. And help they did. That first visit started
a two-month project. I told them exactly what I needed, Himber su-
pervised (was there practically every day), and I ended up with black-
boards made out of titanium, that folded down into a strong zippered
carrying case not much larger than a large attaché case.
I don’t remember what I paid, if anything. I know that it was prac-
tically nothing. I have the feeling that Dick took care of most of it
without ever mentioning it to me. I used those blackboards for the
next seventeen/eighteen years! They’re still as good as new.
 ⟭
III
Mind Probe
Stud Poker Prediction
My Word!
Your Word!
Bill Divin(Ation)
The HW Book Test
Isn’t That Amazing!?
Interlude
Simple And Silly, But Okay
Think Of A Number
Count-Revertable Aces
Special Object
Not-So-Special Object
Better Than A Clipboard
Interlude
 Mind Probe
L arry Becker published two versions of this prediction effect, the
first in a 1979 book and a simplified version in his lecture notes a
few years after that. He did not use a Himber Wallet. He used three
“outs.” Well, it didn’t take a “giant leap” to realize how much stronger
it could be with four “shots” at the correct prediction (see my After-
thoughts).

The basic effect: You remove a few $1 (or any denomination) bills from
your wallet; the wallet is tabled, and remains in full view. A spectator
selects any one of the bills, then he thinks of one of the digits in the
bill’s serial number. He says it out loud. You open the wallet to show
your prediction on a piece of paper. It reads, YOU WILL THINK
OF THE DIGIT 5! Of course, it’s worded however you want to word
it, and it’s correct!

Here’s how: You need to search to find some bills with serial numbers
that allow a choice of only four digits. For example: A53738753B.
Only 3, 5, 7 or 8 can be selected. Now, if you can find a few that
have only these digits, that’s better, stronger; you can give your spec-
tator a choice of bills and a choice of a digit. If you have only one
(and that’s pretty easy to find), then you’d remove only the one bill
from the wallet (or from a pocket). You may want to have a few bills
that “force” different groups of digits—for repeat performances—
same people.
The rest should be obvious. Print up four predictions on two pa-
pers—digits 3/5 and 7/8 (this example). “Do” them in order and place
them into your Himber Wallet so that you can open to whichever you
wish without hesitation. The vital bill(s) is in wallet or pocket.

105
106 The Himber Wallet Book

Lead-in patter: “Do you know how many digits are in the serial
numbers on any one of our bills? That’s right—eight.” Bring out the
wallet and take out the bill or bills. If your prediction paper flashes,
that’s okay, so long as the predicted digit isn’t noted. Close the wallet
and table it.
If you have more than one bill, make a fuss over the free selection
of one of them. Pocket the others. If you have only one, hold it serial
number-side toward spectator, and ask him (or her) to mentally think
of “any one of the eight digits.” When this has been done, pocket the
bill.
Only the buildup remains, of course. He eventually says the digit
he’s thinking of—and you open the wallet to display the correct pre-
diction.

Afterthoughts: Simple—and direct. When you reach The HW Book Test

and For A Really Free Choice, later in this book, you’ll see that you
can use a bill with six or eight digit choices, because the above-mentioned
discuss ways to use the Himber Wallet to be able to predict one of six
or eight, respectively! You can see how much stronger that can make
this idea, but it’s pretty strong as is.
Of course, you can always use more bills, then force the vital one
via magician’s choice, or however you like.
And finally, if you can have six prediction choices, you can tell your
spectator to think of any two digits he sees—making them different
from each other. There are six possibilities. This example: 5 and 3, 5
and 7, 5 and 8, 3 and 7, 3 and 8, 8 and 7.
 Stud Poker Prediction
W e sometimes tend to pass by some wonderful magic (that’s in
print) because we cannot visualize its effect on laymen. These
same effects, when done by other magicians will usually fool us. Don’t
let this effect fall into that category. It’s good.
I’m not particularly fond of routines that require set-ups but, for
this, it’s well worth it. And, the set-up consists of only sixteen cards.
The preparation and method are not as difficult or confusing as it may
seem on first reading; I’ll make it as clear as I can.
You’ll need two cards, blank on both sides. Blank-on-both-sides
playing cards or business cards are fine; so are 3 x 5 index cards, which
you may have to trim down a bit to fit the wallet you’re using.
On one side of one card print or type: YOUR HOLE CARD WILL
BE AN ACE. YOU WILL THEN GET A THREE, A JACK, AN
EIGHT, IN THAT ORDER. YOUR LAST DRAW WILL MATCH
YOUR HOLE CARD TO GIVE YOU A PAIR OF ACES!
On one side of the other card type or print: YOUR HOLE CARD
WILL BE A THREE. YOU WILL THEN GET A JACK, AN
EIGHT, AN ACE, IN THAT ORDER. YOUR LAST DRAW WILL
MATCH THE HOLE CARD TO GIVE YOU A PAIR OF
THREES!
Now, on the other side of the first card, predict: YOUR HOLE
CARD WILL BE A JACK. YOU WILL THEN GET AN EIGHT,
AN ACE, A THREE, IN THAT ORDER. YOUR LAST DRAW
WILL MATCH THE HOLE CARD TO GIVE YOU A PAIR OF
JACKS!
Finally, on the second card’s blank side: YOUR HOLE CARD
WILL BE AN EIGHT. YOU WILL THEN GET AN ACE, A
THREE, A JACK, IN THAT ORDER. THE LAST DRAW WILL

107
108 The Himber Wallet Book

MATCH YOUR HOLE CARD TO GIVE YOU A PAIR OF

EIGHTS!
(Word these however you like, of course.) After you’ve printed or
typed the cards, you can use them over and over again. Place the two
cards into the Himber Wallet so that they are loose, and familiarize
yourself with their positions. Actually, all you have to remember or
think about is how to open the wallet to predict the hole card. The rest
works automatically. In other words, just remember how to open for
the ace, the three, the eight or the jack—that’s all.
Now then, from a regular deck, you have to set up sixteen cards.
Remove all the aces, threes, jacks and eights. Although suits are im-
material, I found it best to set the cards so that the suits are separated
as much as possible. So, from top down, set as follows: AC, 3H, JS, 8D,
AH, 3S, JD, 8C, AS, 3D, JC, 8H, AD, 3C, JH, 8S. If you’re setting in a
hurry, it won’t matter if you mix some of the suits. All you’ve done is
to set the same four values in sort of an endless chain. These cards are
now placed on top of the deck. The top card is the AC, and the six-
teenth card from top is the 8S.

To Perform: Your patter might go something like this: “I know that

you’re wondering how I do at poker. I happen to like stud poker and
it’s difficult for me to lose, since I usually know what cards my oppo-
nents are going to get before they get them! Aha, I smell some skepti-
cism here. Let me prove it to you. First I have to write a prediction.”
You can either open the wallet and pretend to write (if you’ve hand-
written or printed the cards), or just say that you’ve already written
the prediction, and that it’s “here in my wallet.” Whichever way you
go, finally leave the closed wallet in full view. Pick up the deck.
You can do a face-up table ribbon spread; no set-up will be appar-
ent. Gather and square the cards. Shuffle, keeping at least the top six-
teen cards in place. Finally, cut about fifteen cards from bottom to top.
Just cut normally, or you can undercut about fifteen cards and legiti-
mately, slowly, shuffle them onto the top of the deck. End with a false
Harry Lorayne 109

cut, if you like. The point is, that so far as your audience is concerned,
the deck is thoroughly shuffled.
Place the face-down deck in front of a spectator. Tell him (or her)
to cut the deck somewhere near center. (Up to you, but I never men-
tion center; most people will cut near center anyway.) Have him place
the cut-off portion aside, face down. Point to the card he cut to, the
top card of the bottom half, and make an issue over the fact that he
could have cut anywhere, nobody could possibly have predicted which
card he’d cut to, and so forth. Then, continue . . .
“The card you’ve cut to will be your hole card, and the next four
cards will be the rest of your hand. Please turn up your hole card. A
jack! I knew it. You don’t believe me? Well then—look at my predic-
tion. Open the wallet to the “jack” prediction. Let everyone see it. Have
your assistant place the jack face down near himself, and tell him to
turn up the next card. It will be an eight, just as your prediction pre-
dicts. Have him place it face up onto and overlapping his hole card,
just as he’d do when playing stud poker.
Let him turn up the ace and then the three, and with all the show-
manship you can muster, show that your prediction is still correct. For
the climax, say, “Now, don’t you worry, I predicted that you’d match
the hole card with your last draw, and as you can see (let him turn up
the next card, the jack), I usually know what cards my opponents will
get before they get them, because you do have a pair of jacks!” (Figure
44.)

Figure 44
110 The Himber Wallet Book

Afterthoughts: That’s it. Plenty of room for entertainment and showman-

ship. You can, if you like, use the same set-up to predict only one card.
Have the wallet set to predict either an ace, a three, an eight or a jack.
The prediction might read—YOU WILL DEFINITELY CUT TO
AN ACE,” and so on. Of course, you’ll also know which card follows
the one cut to and there are ways to take advantage of that. I always
presented it just as explained.
 My Word!
T here are some strong prediction ideas in this book. This is one of
them. Prediction effects using the Himber Wallet should not be
done at the same performance, of course.
Presented properly, this is a fine prediction effect. Apparently, a spec-
tator has an absolutely free choice of four or five alphabet cards. He forms
these freely-selected letters into any word he likes. Your prediction,
which was written before he selected the letter cards, proves to be correct.
You’ll need the Himber Wallet and a deck of alphabet cards. These
can be found in most any magic shop. I’d suggest that you get some
extras for the wallet load, as you’ll see. (You most likely have a deck
or two of these cards lying around anyway—for years! Check your
“old magic” drawers.)
The easy preparation: You need two sets of the letters R, O, P, E;
eight cards. Mix each set of four cards so that the words “rope” and
“pore” are not too obvious, then place the two sets face to face.
You also have to prepare a “prediction” card. Use a card that’s blank
on both sides. Write—don’t type—a prediction on each side. On one
side: I PREDICT THAT YOU WILL DECIDE ON THE WORD—
ROPE! On the other side of the card: YOU WILL DEFINITELY END
UP WITH THE WORD—PORE! (Note that the language is differ-
ent for each one. That’s just to show you the choices. Word them
however you like.)
Place the card into a pay envelope and seal, or just tuck in, the flap.
Place this envelope into the half pocket on the left panel of the wallet.
Put the faced packet of eight cards into the same half pocket so that it
lies on the envelope. If you have a deck of alphabet cards, another blank
card (matching the prediction card) and another (matching) envelope,
you’re ready to perform.

111
112 The Himber Wallet Book

Hand the deck of alphabet cards to a spectator. Let him (or her)
examine then shuffle it. As he does, do some mindreading or ESP
patter. Open the Himber Wallet to the empty side and table it that
way. Show both sides of the blank card and say that you’ll write a pre-
diction. Do so, without letting anyone see what you’re writing; write
anything since this card will not be seen again.
When you’ve written the prediction, flash both sides of the card.
This is to establish the fact that the writing is only on one side, without
mentioning that fact. Insert the card into the envelope and place the
envelope into that left-panel half pocket of the wallet.
Tell your spectator to shuffle the alphabet cards once more. Then
he’s to hold them face down and cut about eight or nine cards from
anywhere he likes. It isn’t necessary for you to count these, but be
aware. If it looks as if he has obviously more or less than the eight cards,
tell him to replace some, or to take one or two more.
Take the deck from him, explaining that he could have taken any
of these letters. Tell him to place his small packet of cards behind his
back and to mix the cards some more. Then he’s to cut the packet about
in half, turn one half face up and place it beneath the other, face-down,
half. In other words, he places the two groups face to face.
It’s best to rush him a bit during this bit of business so that he doesn’t
have the chance to count the cards. (It isn’t crucial since there’s no
reason to count the cards, but why take chances?)
All right; tell him to bring the packet to the front. Take it from him,
keep it squared, show both sides, and explain that the cards he freely
chose are now face to face. Openly and deliberately place the packet
into the half pocket of the wallet, on the envelope. Close the wallet.
Recapitulate what has been done. Then, explain that even though
no one knows which letters were selected, you’re going to let him make
another decision, another choice. Have him decide which letters he’d
rather use, those that are facing up in the wallet or those that are fac-
ing down. (Your patter throughout could be to the effect that you’re
not good enough to do this with a long word yet—so you want him to
arrive at a fairly short word.)
Harry Lorayne 113

Whichever way he decides, open the wallet to your set-up, and

remove the packet of cards and the envelope; do it slowly. Table the
envelope so that all can see it clearly. Take the four face-down cards
or the four face-up cards, as per his decision. Careful not to let the
other (non-selected) four cards flash. Hand him the four cards of his
choice.
Tell him to form any word with the letters he’s selected. As you
talk, put the wallet away. My patter here would be: “If you can form
only a short word, do so, and discard any extra letters, but do try to
use all the letters you have.” I’d never mention the number of cards or
letters he has—and if he’s not illiterate, he must come up with either
“pore” or “rope.”
When he says that he’s formed his word, have him place the letters
face up so that all can read it. The word should be close to your enve-
lope. Mention the word he’s formed and, after looking at the letters
for a moment, point out the fact that he could have formed a com-
pletely different word. (If he formed “pore,” point out “rope,” or vice
versa.)
Remove your prediction card from the envelope, making sure that
you do it so that the correct surface is face outward. Place it onto the
envelope (this “shades” the other side) and display it so that everyone
can see it, or have someone read it out loud. End.

Afterthoughts: You can, of course, use any set of four letters; any set that
will enable the spectator to form only two words (rule/lure, draw/
ward, flea/leaf, dawn/wand, rate/tear, keep/peek, hose/shoe, tome/
mote, etc.). That, obviously, is the point.
This is good because only one prediction card is needed; your spec-
tators see that only one side of the card has writing on it (at the start);
your assistant really has the choice of face-up or face-down letters,
and the freedom to form any(?) word. I don’t think I have to tell you
never to mention the fact that only two words can be formed.
Just about the same effect can be done using number (instead of
letter) cards. Your prediction could read: YOU WILL SELECT
114 The Himber Wallet Book

THESE NUMBERS IN THIS ORDER—2669. The effect is the

same. At the end, instruct him to set his four (or five) number cards in
correct numerical order. Use a duplicate in your number—it looks more
legitimate.
Talk about how many combinations are possible with eight or nine
digits. That patter “works” when using the alphabet cards, also. Just
play up the “possibilities.” The “word” idea is better than the number
idea, in my opinion. It’s different.
 Your Word!
H ere’s another “word” effect; it did not appear in either BEST OF
BILL-FOOLED or THE HUNDRED DOLLAR BOOK. And,
obviously, you wouldn’t use this and My Word! during the same per-
formance. Use one for a group, then the other if you work for the same
group another time. This “holds” for most of the items in this book.
You’ll need some alphabet or letter cards. Place the letters A, E, M,
R, S, T in a pay envelope, then place the envelope into the half pocket
of your Himber Wallet. Place the letters A, E, H, R, T into another
pay envelope. Keep this envelope in an easily accessible trouser, shirt
or jacket pocket. Remember which letters are in which location, of
course.
And, you’ll need ten (or eight) blank-faced cards. On the blank sur-
face of each, type or print a word. Four of those words are, MASTER,
EARTH, STREAM, HEART. The other six (or four) are arbitrary.
Don’t make up these cards yet; an alternate method follows this one—
a method that necessitates the use of eight vital cards. If you’re using
ten cards, set them from top down as shown in the first column that
follows the next paragraph. If you’re using eight cards, set as shown in
the second column. Each X represents an arbitrary word—they should
be words containing five or six letters, and different looking (different
letters) than your vital words. Each group would be dealt into a
left-to-right tabled row during performance.
With the 8-card set-up you’d use the force I discussed in Five Star
Miracle. Here’s a slightly different way for the 10-card set-up. (Then
you can decide which you want to use.) All you have to do is ask your
spectator (who is sitting opposite you) for a number between 1 and 10.
Visualize the shown (left) column of cards laid out left to right. For
the numbers 2, 3, 4 or 5 you count to the card. For the numbers 6, 7, 8

115
116 The Himber Wallet Book

or 9, your spectator does the counting—just look at the numbers 1 to

10 at left and 10 to 1 at right.

1 ______ X ____ 10 1 __ MASTER __ 8

2 __ MASTER _ 9 2 _____ X _____ 7
3 ___ EARTH __ 8 3 __ EARTH __ 6
4 __ STREAM _ 7 4 _____ X _____ 5
5 ___ HEART __ 6 5 __ STREAM __ 4
6 ______ X _____ 5 6 _____ X _____ 3
7 ______ X _____ 4 7 __ HEART __ 2
8 ______ X _____ 3 8 _____ X _____ 1
9 ______ X _____ 2
10 ______ X _____ 1

What I’d do is pencil dot the back of the top card (two diagonal cor-
ners), then I can cut the packet, and do a quick Charlier shuffle (as
taught in Choice And Chance), let the spectator cut, and so forth. One
more fast spread and cut (bringing the pencil-dotted card back to top)
and I’m ready.

)_

Okay; bring out the packet of word cards. Flash the words—all different.
Do the shuffling as just explained, and deal the cards into a tabled row.
Bring the prepared envelope out of your pocket and explain that there’s
a prediction in it. Open the Himber Wallet to the empty side and put
the envelope into the half pocket. Close and table the wallet (turning it
over as you do). Of course, if you prefer, both envelopes can be in the
wallet to begin with; you’d simply flash one of them at this point.
Now, force one of the vital cards. That’s all; the rest is buildup. When
you (or your spectator) count to a card you’ll know which envelope
you’ll have to take out of the wallet. You can flash both sides of the
selected word card, and then open the wallet to the proper side (the
5-letter or 6-letter envelope), remove the envelope and hand it to your
spectator. Pocket the wallet.
Harry Lorayne 117

Turn the selected word card face up so that all can see the word.
Take the alphabet cards out of the envelope and arrange them to spell
that word! If “master” or “stream” was selected, you’d be using the let-
ters A, E, M, R, S, T. For “earth” or “heart” A, E, H, R, T.
I like it. There are many other ways to handle it, but I don’t want to
drive you crazy with decision-making. So, here are only a few of those
ways. First of all, you can force from a 10-card set-up alternating the
vital word cards. The first, second and tenth would be arbitrary words.
Ask for a number between 1 and 10 and count left to right or right to
left, and so on. (Try it and you’ll see what I mean.) This is just a bit
better only because the vital words (which contain the same letters)
are not bunched together.
If you don’t mind using double envelopes it can be presented with-
out a force of a card. Place the letters A, E, M, R, S, T in one side of
one double envelope—and the letters C, E, D, I in the other side of
the same envelope. (I’m suggesting a four-letter word in the other side
only so that you cut down on the thickness of the envelope. If you don’t
care about that, you can use any five-letter word, or any-letter word,
that fits the pattern.) The letters C, E, D, I are used to spell the words
“dice” or “iced.”
In the other envelope you might use AEHRT and ERPO—for
“earth, heart, rope” or “pore.” And the packet of word cards would
consist of the words, MASTER, ROPE, DICE, HEART, PORE,
STREAM, EARTH, ICED—in that order, or a similar order. The
point is to separate the pairs, the “partner” words, as much as possible.
If you want to set this to work with ten cards, you can. You’d do it
by using two arbitrary words. But it sure looks better, in my opinion,
to hand out the 8-card packet (don’t mention the number), let your
spectator shuffle, and then select any card. Flash the non-selected cards
to show all different words, and go from there, using the presentation
ideas already suggested.

Afterthoughts: You do have to make a few simple decisions. You may,

for example, prefer to force one of the four vital cards instead of using
double envelopes because that allows you to show very different
118 The Himber Wallet Book

words. (The six or four words on the other cards, remember, can be
any words.)
There are many pairs of words that you can use. Those mentioned
in the routine, and—BORED/ROBED, RAGE/GEAR, AMONG/
MANGO, FAKER/FREAK. I’d avoid pairs in which the words look
too similar, words like EVIL/LIVE or THORN/NORTH.
Have fun.
 Bill Divin(Ation)
A long with the strong prediction ideas, there are quite a few good
mindreading effects in this book, and it’s sometimes difficult to
“separate” the two concepts. There are, obviously, quite a few of these
effects included because that’s pretty much the “nature of the beast”
of the Himber Wallet. Well, anyway—this, too, is a mindreading ef-
fect, using $1 bills. It’s a new item; it didn’t appear in either of the first
two books I wrote on the Himber Wallet. It’s contributed by Gary Lee
Williams, who uses it for the money; that is, under audience test condi-
tions.
It’s what he calls a “grief free” routine; all the worry is taken out of
it; there’s nothing complex involved—it’s smooth and easy. It also
eliminates one of the inherent problems of this kind of mindreading
effect. That problem being that all the serial numbers of the bills are
the same—or your audience thinks they are. The basic effect is that you
read the mind of a spectator who is concentrating on the serial num-
ber of a freely-selected, borrowed, $1 bill.

Props and Preparation: You’ll need say nine or ten crisp new $1 bills. You’ll
also need five used $1 bills that have some sort of identifying mark or tear
on their reverse (non-Washington) side. Gary gets fifty $1 bills at the
bank. Some are new, many are not. He finds five used ones with recog-
nizable marks. One may have an obvious (to you) tear, another may have
a pencil notation on it, and so on. It’s really easy to find five bills each of
which have some sort of recognizable (again, to you) mark on the re-
verse side. And, you can always put your own mark on one or two of
them. You’ll also need a large pad, a marking pen, a regular pen.
Place some (more than five) crisp new bills (facing any which way)
into the long pocket of one side (right panel) of the wallet. Arrange it

119
120 The Himber Wallet Book

so that same sides show at crucial times during the routine. Example:
If you will give away five bills during performance then the
6th-from-top bill is (say) Washington side up and the bottom bill is
reverse side up—in order to show the Washington side when the wallet
is opened to the other side. Just work it out so that there are no un-
necessary discrepancies.
Now, Gary uses an El Marko magic marker because a large area of
it is plain black. He then uses 10-point rub-on white (Letraset) letters
to put the five identifying marks and the serial number that goes with
each non-crisp bill onto the magic marker. He covers this informa-
tion with transparent tape so that the letters won’t rub off. You can
write the information anywhere you like—on the pad, perhaps—and
however you like, just so that you can “get” to it easily. I, personally,
would simply memorize the information.
Then, place the five used (and marked) $1 bills Washington down
into a side of the wallet—loose, not inside a pocket. You want these used
bills to be face down on the left when you open the wallet, so it might
be better to place them face up onto and outside the long pocket now.
So, one side of the wallet has the crisp bills in the long pocket and
the five face-up used bills loose on top of them. The other side will
show only the crisp $1 bills in the long pocket. Put the regular pen
into the wallet, and close the wallet around it, so that it will automati-
cally open to the side that shows only the crisp bills. This is that unique
use of pen, pencil or wand explained in Money Talks. If your wallet
has a flap, and if you prefer, tuck that in properly, also as explained.
Place the entire package into an inside jacket pocket.

To Perform: This is an effect done for a larger-than-close-up group—

what’s commonly known as “parlor” or “platform” magic. It “plays”
on stage, too, if properly presented.
Say that you want to exchange some crisp new $1 bills for some
used $1 bills. Ask people to take out $1 bills. As they do, you take out
the Himber Wallet, open it to expose the empty half-pocket side. Only
crisp new bills are seen in that long pocket. Easy because of the pen,
Harry Lorayne 121

of course. Casually pocket the pen. Don’t mention it—it simply ap-
pears as if you keep a pen in the wallet, or that it accidentally came
out with, got “hooked” into, the wallet. The use of the pen is optional;
if you’d rather just remember which side of the wallet to open to, and
open to it—that’s fine.
Walk around taking used $1 bills and placing them face down, loose,
into the wallet. You don’t want to see the serial-number side; stress
that.
As you take each one—or as you let the audience member drop it
onto the wallet—give him a crisp bill for it. Take five used bills (or as
many as you’ve prepared; and don’t mention a number). Close the
wallet as you ask for a helper to come up front with you. Bring him
front and center.
Open the wallet to the prepared side (Figure 45; you simply have
to know which way to open) and ask your helper to take out the “bor-
rowed” bills. This is a casual action. When the wallet is opened to the
proper side, the remaining crisp bills are seen in the (right side) long
pocket; the “borrowed” bills are loose, on the left, as in the illustra-
tion. I’m leaving the “acute” details to you; the way to place the bills

Figure 45
122 The Himber Wallet Book

so that all looks as it should. It’s really not that crucial because the
sort of small discrepancies we’re discussing are never really noticed.
And—if your wallet doesn’t show the other side of the crisp bills in
the other side of the wallet, put a few crisp bills in that other-side long
pocket to make it look right. Gotta leave it to you.
Pocket the wallet without paying any attention to it as you talk, and
as you move to your table to pick up pad and marking pen. Instruct
your helper to mix the bills and to see (and indicate to the rest of the
audience) that all the serial numbers are different, random. This is
important; it eliminates that suspicion of all-the-same serial numbers.
Then, make an issue over the fact that he (or she) has an absolutely
free choice of one of the borrowed(?) bills. He’s to select any one of
them and table, or hand you, the remaining ones, which you either
table or pocket. Then have him concentrate on the serial number of
the bill he selected. You have to work it out so that when he does this,
the reverse side of the bill, the side with the all-important identifying
mark is toward you, and that you’re not too far away to recognize it.
What remains is buildup, showmanship. Slowly read his mind—
either aloud or just write on your pad. Write on the pad in any case.
That’ll be your verifier later and, of course, you need to use the pen
in order to get the information you need. The pen tells you the serial
number that goes with the identifying mark that you see. Let your
assistant verify that you’re correct, he or she reads the serial number
out loud, you turn the pad to show the number you wrote—it matches,
of course!

Afterthoughts: This is good. You have to present it your way, with your
personality, your attitude. I believe it can be presented as, built into,
a feature item. And, again, handle it all properly, and the wallet is for-
gotten.
 The HW Book Test
G eorge Laing contributed a few ideas for routines using the
Himber Wallet. One of them is the book test I want to describe
here. Before I do, however . . . At the rear of BEST OF BILL-FOOLED
is a section titled, “Suggestions For Bill-Fooled.” In that section, I teach
an idea that enables you to have six prediction choices rather than the
usual four. I’m quite pleased with it but it’s been, in the main, over-
looked. That’s okay; I used it and fooled all. But, this gives me the
opportunity to teach it again and also to explain how I used it for a
Ted Annemann book test. I’ll mention the “six” idea for The HW Book
Test in the Afterthoughts.
I’ll also discuss a magician’s choice method with four books, which
was not included in either of the two original books. (The concept is
used within a few of the routines in this book.) So, this will be a long
item—relax and bear with me. It will be long only because it contains
some good ideas. First, edited from BEST OF BILL-FOOLED:

Here’s a way for the Himber Wallet to offer six choices instead of four.
I use a blank piece of paper approximately 3¼ by 4½ inches. Fold this
in half once. Write a prediction across the inside of the folded sheet,
then close the fold and write two more predictions, one on each side,
as if it was just a single thickness or layer of paper.
If you do this with two of these folded sheets, you’ll have six differ-
ent predictions. Place one in each side of the wallet. Place them so
that the long opening of the folded paper is toward the opening side
of the wallet (on both sides, of course). You’re set to show any one of
six predictions!
When you want to show a prediction that’s on the outside of either
sheet of paper, it’s handled as if the paper was a single, unfolded, sheet.

123
124 The Himber Wallet Book

The only difference is that one thumb goes inside as you open the
wallet, and holds the paper down so that the fold doesn’t open too
widely (or prematurely).
The reason for keeping the opening of the folded paper toward the
opening of the wallet is that when you have to show the prediction
that’s on the inside of the folded paper, that thumb goes into the wallet
and into the folded paper; the other thumb reaches across and does the
same thing. As the wallet is opened, the paper also opens, automatically!
Your thumbs hold the paper down against the wallet as that paper (and
the prediction) is shown. Try it once, and it will clear up for you, if it
isn’t already clear (Figure 46).
One way to use this idea is with a terrific book test in Annemann’s
Practical Mental Effects. In that book test, you force three cards—say a
4, a 5 and an 8. The spectator is told to put aside any one of those cards
for a moment. The remaining two cards are used to designate a page
number in the chosen book. He uses these two cards in any order he
likes. The third card is now used to signify the word across the top
line of that page. (Or—to count down to that line from the top of the
page. See Afterthoughts.)

Figure 46
Harry Lorayne 125

There are only six choices of words available to the spectator. If

you use a 4, 5 and 8, he must look at either page 45, 8th word; page 54,
8th word; page 84, 5th word; page 85, 4th word; page 48, 5th word;
page 58, 4th word!
Get those words out of the book you intend to use and write them
on the papers, as explained. No “fishing” necessary during perfor-
mance. Just let him name the word he’s concentrating on and open
the wallet to show that your prediction is correct. (I do “fish” a bit. Since
I’ve memorized the six words—I can. I read his mind and then show
that I was also able to predict the word.)
The method I used for forcing the three cards, I believe, is
Annemann’s. The three vital playing cards are under the book you’ll
use for the effect. The spectator shuffles the deck. You take it back
with your left hand. Pick up the book (and the three hidden cards)
with your right hand and drop it onto the deck, immediately flipping
through the pages to show that it’s “a regular book.” You’ve loaded
the three cards onto the deck. Have the spectator take the three top
cards from the deck he shuffled, and go from there.

)_

Now, George’s book-test idea. You have to learn (memorize) the first
word of the top line and the first word of the bottom line on, say, pages
136 and 137 (facing pages) of any book. During performance, this book
is either simply picked up or it’s forced. Prepare your predictions. You
can use double-sided pay envelopes (just glue two envelopes back to
back) with a clean (one-side) prediction card placed into each of the
four compartments.
The advantage of the envelopes is that you can pull out a card that
has only the one prediction, and leave it with your spectator. Or, use
two blank-on-both-sides cards with a prediction on both sides of each.
The advantage of that is that you don’t have to bother with envelopes!
But, you can’t leave the prediction card with the spectator.
Your choice. Set your predictions into the wallet so that you can
126 The Himber Wallet Book

show any one of the four words. A good touch: Prepare only three of
the predictions. Openly write or print the fourth word during perfor-
mance, in front of your audience, without letting anyone see exactly
what you write. If using envelopes, remove the blank card, flash both
sides, then write. If using the double-sided blank cards, be sure not to
flash the other side. In either case, place the prediction properly into
the wallet.

To Perform: Either hand the book to a spectator, or force it, like this:
There are four books on the table, the vital one among them. Say,
“Please pick up (pick up, not select) any book with one hand.” What’s
best here, of course, is if he picks up the vital one right off the bat. Go
right into the effect. There’s a one-out-of-four chance for that to hap-
pen. Not bad. And that’s why I have him pick up only one book at first.
(The “norm” is two books.)
If he takes any other book, without hesitation, say, “And one book with
your other hand.” If he picks up the vital one now, immediately say,
“Hand me either one.” If he hands you the vital one: “Good; this is the
one you like, and that’s the one we’ll use.” If he hands you the non-vital
one, discard it without even looking at it, point to the one he still
holds—“Good; that’s the one we’ll use.”
If he doesn’t pick up the vital book with his other hand take both
from him, and say, “Now pick up the remaining (two) books, one in
each hand. Hand me one of them.” Should he give you the vital one,
say, “Good; this is the one we’ll use,” as you take the one he still holds
and discard it. Give him back the one he decided(?) on.
If he gives you the non-vital book—“Good; that’s the one we’ll use,”
as you nod toward the one still in his hand. Discard the one he gave
you, casually and without paying any attention to it. Done correctly,
as if it doesn’t matter to you at all, it’s an excellent magician’s choice
force.
Hand him a playing card, business card, or any card, as you take
the book and hold it for him. Ask him to insert the card anywhere into
the book. He’s to leave the card protruding. (If you’d rather, you can
Harry Lorayne 127

let him hold the book himself.) Usually, it’s inserted near center; try
to cause that to happen. (Because pages 136-137 are at just about cen-
ter of the book I used as my demonstration model for writing this.)
Take the book and walk toward another spectator. As you do, open
the book to where the card is inserted, remove the card, look at both
page numbers, and say, “Okay; you have a choice of page 136 or 137.
Which shall it be?” I love this! Simply miscall the page numbers. So
you couldn’t care less where the first person inserts the card. There-
fore, there is no fidgeting, or switching of cards, or holding breaks.
Simply, casually, miscall the page numbers. I’ve tried this. No one ever
blinks an eye; no one ever notices it. Close the book as you ask the
question.
As soon as he decides on the page, walk to another (third) specta-
tor. Hand him the book. “The page he wants to use is (say) 137. Now
you have a choice to make—would you prefer top or bottom? ” Which-
ever he answers, tell him to open the book to page 137 and to concen-
trate on the first word of the top line (if he chose “top”), or the first
word of the bottom line (if he chose “bottom”).
Tell him to continue concentrating as you point to the wallet that’s
been on the table, in full view, from the start. Pick up the wallet. You
already know the word he’s concentrating on, so you can remove your
prediction before you ask for the word, and pocket the wallet. Or, if
you’re using the double-sided blank cards, you may want to hold the
wallet to use as a rest onto which to place and hold the card, covering
the prediction that’s on its underside. (I prefer to put the wallet away
before I end the effect.)
All that remains is for you to build to the ending. Finally, ask for the
word that he’s concentrating on. Show that your prediction is correct!

Afterthoughts: Present this in a serious manner, of course. That “seri-

ousness,” coupled with casualness, when you open the book and mis-
call the page numbers, is what makes that particular “piece” work. You
can, obviously, force the two page numbers, or pages, however you
like.
128 The Himber Wallet Book

You don’t have to use three spectators, but doing so does aid the
presentation and strengthen the idea. And, you can present this at a
friend’s home using his books, since the preparation is minimal. One
glance at one of his books and you have the four words. Then, one
quick visit to the bathroom and you can set the Himber Wallet.
If you want to use my six-way-prediction idea, memorize the first
word of (say) page 136 of six different books! You’ll then have to mis-
call only the one page. And, whichever way you go, instead of pre-
dicting just the one word, you may find it stronger to predict the gist
of the entire line.
 Isn’t That Amazing!?
L ewis Jones’s starting point for his effect using a “ranging” force of
one of two cards was a Stephen Tucker item. I tweaked the idea
a bit to enable the ranging force to “embrace” six cards. And that’s why
this effect is positioned here, right after I explained my method for
showing one of six predictions by utilizing the Himber Wallet. It’s quite
interesting.
Basically, the effect is . . . two spectators each make a free mental
choice of a card—value, color, suit, etc. You “merge” the value of one
card with the suit of the other, to give you an entirely different card.
It’d seem impossible to have known beforehand the card finally ar-
rived at—yet your prediction is correct!
You need to set your Himber Wallet so that you can, at the end,
display one of six predictions. You already know how to do that, so
I’ll discuss the ranging force. You’ll need at least two spectators. At
the start, don’t mention or indicate that you may use two people. Be-
cause—it may not be necessary.
Addressing Spectator #1 only, say, “There are two kinds of cards
in a deck—spot cards (ace to ten) and picture cards (jack, queen, king).
I’d like you to mentally select one of those, spot card or picture card.
Up to you.” Pause to let him do so. “Which did you select?”
If he answers “picture card,” you’re heading in the right direction.
Incidentally, when I ask him (or her) to mentally select one—spot or
picture—I always say “picture” last, and put a slight emphasis on that
word. It’s a slight, psychological, verbal force. Don’t make it obvious.
Now, off on a bit of a tangent here. Your prediction choices will be
the jack, queen, king of diamonds, and the jack, queen, king of hearts.
That’s why the choice of “picture” heads you in the right direction.
Now say, “And there are two colors—black and red.” Again, I empha-

129
130 The Himber Wallet Book

size, slightly, red. “Select one, please. Which shall it be?” If he says “red,”
the effect is basically over—you’re home free.
You’d say—“You selected picture card and red; your choices. You
have two more choices to make—which red picture card, jack, queen
or king, and which suit, hearts or diamonds?” Since you’ve “predicted”
whatever he can decide on here, build it as strongly as you can, or like.
Whatever he does decide on, say, “Isn’t that amazing?” and open your
Himber Wallet to show that prediction—as taught in the preceding.
Now, suppose that after deciding on a picture card his color selec-
tion is black. In that case, ask him to mentally decide on a black picture
card. Don’t ask what it is, yet. And, turn to another spectator as if that’s
what you intended from the start.
“Would you help us out, please? I’d like you to think of a card also,
but it can’t be the same as his. So, would you think of a card from the
other ‘half’ of the deck—any spot card, since he’s thinking of a pic-
ture card, and make it a red spot card, since he selected black. Let me
know when you have a card in mind.”
Stress the fact that they’ve had absolutely(?) free choices from the
entire deck, and so forth. Finally, say, “I’d like to narrow your choices
down to a single card that no one could possibly have predicted. To
do that we’ll merge the two cards you’re only thinking of.” Turn to
the first spectator—“We’ll use the value of your card and we’ll merge
it with the suit of her (second spectator’s) card.” (Are you with me?
You know that the first spectator is thinking of a picture card, so it’s
the value of his thought-of card that’s vital. Merging that with the sec-
ond spectator’s heart or diamond, does it.)
Continue: “I have no idea what card she (second spectator) is think-
ing of. Nor do you, Alex (first spectator). So Sally, would you please
pick up the deck and point out to Alex any card of the suit you’re
thinking of. Don’t let me see it, of course.”
In Lewis’s words, “During this, don’t mention ‘picture’ or ‘color’ or
‘red’ or ‘black.’ Just refer to ‘the value of your card’ and the ‘suit of
your card.’ You want to leave the impression that you know next to
nothing about the thought-of cards.”
Harry Lorayne 131

“Alex” now looks through the deck and removes his thought-of
picture card of Sally’s suit. It must, of course, be the jack, queen or
king of diamonds or hearts. Let him show it to all. Then—“Isn’t that
amazing?” and open the Himber Wallet, that’s been in full view from
the start, and show that you’ve predicted that card.
Now, I have to go back to the beginning. What if, at that point, Alex
chooses “spot” card? Simple rule: When two spectators are involved,
one of them must think of “spot card/red” and the other “picture/
black.” So, if he chooses “spot,” you can’t let him make the color choice.
Because, if he says “black,” you’d be in trouble.
So, immediately turn to the second spectator. “Sally, we need a
color—red or black, please. Whatever you like.” Whichever color she
names, you’re off the hook. If she says “red,” act as if she selected that,
randomly, for Alex. So, he’s thinking of any red spot card. “As long as
you’re helping out, Sally, please think of any card from the other half
deck—a black picture card, since Alex is ‘using’ red, and a spot card.
Think of any one, any black picture card.” You’re ready to merge
Sally’s value with Alex’s color. Have him decide on hearts or diamonds,
and so forth.
If, on the other hand, Sally chooses black in this scenario, act as if
she’s selected that color for herself. Say, “Okay, Sally, think of a black
card. Since Alex doesn’t want picture cards, you can have them—think
of any black picture card.
“And Alex, since Sally has blacks, you can have reds. You wanted a
spot card—fine; think of any red spot card.” Now, as before, you’re in
position to merge Sally’s value with Alex’s color/suit. End as explained.

Afterthoughts: Reads a bit complicated, I know—but it isn’t at all. Go

over it once or thrice, and it will clear up for you. Your Himber Wal-
let, of course, is set with the three choices (JH, QH, KH) written on
front surface, rear surface, and across center, of your folded predic-
tion paper, exactly as described in the preceding routine. The other
side of the wallet contains the second folded prediction paper, pre-
dicting the JD, QD and KD.
132 The Himber Wallet Book

The best that can happen, of course, is for Alex to choose “picture”
and “red.” If he does, just have him decide on jack, queen or king and
hearts or diamonds. Let him remove the card from the deck. Then
show your correct prediction. It’s pretty strong.
You can perform this without cards. Just have Sally whisper her suit
to Alex (or vice versa). And Alex names his picture card of that suit
out loud.
You might want to use this one often!
Yes, Himber would go out of his way for you—give you the “shirt
off his back,” if need be, as he did on more than a few occasions for
me. I heard many stories, never publicized, about those good things.
Like the one about the “shoes.” Dick used to go into a certain shoe
store and, although the shoes he’d be wearing at the time were in good
condition, he bought a new pair and left the old pair. It seems that
there was a poor handyman who did occasional work there and who
wore the same size shoe as did Himber. Dick left his used, but in good
condition, shoes for him.
On the other hand . . . I went into an old-fashioned, large, hard-
ware store with Dick. He knew the busy guy behind the counter (Dick
seemed to know everybody), and asked him if he had a certain size
small screw. The counter guy said, “Oh Dick, that’s way up there—
do you really need them now?” Of course Dick did need them—now.
With a sigh, the counter guy ran the ladder to a certain area. I
told you, this was an old-fashioned store. Stuff on high shelves in
Maxwell House coffee cans, with attached-to-the-wall tall ladders
that rolled from area to area. The guy climbed all the way to the top
and came down with a coffee can.
Himber looked in, then dumped all the small screws, perhaps thou-
sands of them, onto the counter. He said, “No, I need the next size.”
With another sigh, the guy moved the ladder a few feet, climbed up,
and came down with another coffee can. Dick looked in—the screws
looked exactly like the first batch, the difference was minute, could
hardly tell the difference with the naked eye.
Then, he dumped these (thousands of ) screws out of the can onto
the first mound of screws! He mixed them about a bit, then said, “No,
sorry, none of these will do”—and left, dragging me along with him!
The last thing I remember seeing was the counter guy’s dropped jaw.
Through the years I started to get the feeling that Dick did these
things when friends were with him just to establish the fact that he
was a character! I do believe that he went back later, by himself, and
paid the guy handsomely for the trouble and work he’d caused.
 Simple And Silly, But Okay
T he title tells you how I feel about this quick trick. It’s simple, kinda
silly, but when I performed it for laymen many years ago, and
again recently, as a test, the reaction was fine. It’s Jacob Daley’s (I
believe) Color-Changing Aces with the addition of the Himber Wallet.
Instead of a double turnover and a glide, I’ve always done a double
turnover at top, followed by a double turnover from bottom to top.
I’ll explain as we go along.
You’ll need two extra, matching, black aces—AC, AS. Let me “set”
the Himber Wallet and its positions for you—for teaching purposes.
Table the wallet then open its upper panel to your left. I.e., put your
left thumbtip at the right side and open that upper side to the left like
opening the front cover of a book.
Place the two duplicate black aces, slightly spread and face down,
into the open wallet’s left-side half pocket. Flip that left panel back to
the right. So, when you want to open the wallet to the black aces, you’ll
open as just explained—top panel to the left. To show the other side,
empty at the moment, open with your right thumb at left—the top
panel opens to the right. When ready to perform, the open wallet is
on the table at “empty” position.
Into Color-Changing Aces now. Display the face-up aces in alter-
nating-color condition; make sure that a red ace is on top. Flip them
face down. You can complete cut the packet, cutting two cards top to
bottom (or vice versa) each time—that keeps a red ace on top.
Do a double turnover to display a black ace. (I always use my own
no get-ready double lift from a 4-card packet, out of QUANTUM
LEAPS.) Say, “A black ace.” (Never mention suits.) Turn down the
double (again, I use the no get-ready lift) and push off the top single

134
Harry Lorayne 135

card. Take it with your right hand and slide it into the half pocket (at
left) of the tabled wallet.
Do a double turnover from bottom to top of the three in-hand cards.
Easy—pull back the top card with your left thumb, clearing the right
long side of the lower 2-card block. Grasp that right long side with
right thumbtip and fingertips (Figure 47), and flip the double up and
over, face up onto the single face-down card. The second black ace is
displayed. “And another black ace.” Flip the double face down on top.
Just buckle the bottom card to make it easy (or simply block pushoff
the double card).
Take the top single card and slide it into the wallet’s half pocket
onto the first (supposedly) black ace. Insert it in slightly spread con-
dition (not crucial, just looks better). As you do this, be careful not to
flash the black ace at face of the in-hand two cards. Close the tabled
wallet by flipping its right side over to the left, onto the left side. Say,
“Now, you know which aces are there (indicate the tabled wallet),
right? Yes, the blacks.” As you end the remark, open the wallet to its
other side. Pull out and display the (duplicate) black aces for only a
beat (Figure 48); replace them and close the wallet by flipping the left
side over onto the right side.
“Now, I’ve done this quickly because I wanted to test your power
of observation. Which ace would you say is on top (look at the tabled
wallet), the spade or the club?” Whatever answer you get, open the

Figure 47
136 The Himber Wallet Book

Figure 48

wallet to show the red aces. “No, no—these are the red aces!” Show
them. “The black aces are here.” Show the two black aces in your hand.
Leave the apparently empty, open, wallet on the table. Put the four
aces together in your hands so that they’re in opening or starting po-
sition. And say, “I’ll do it again.” Do exactly the same thing, sliding
each black(?) ace into the wallet’s half pocket. Close the wallet, open
it again to flash black (duplicate) aces, etc., as before. And end exactly
as before.
“Boy! Your observation isn’t too powerful. Let me try something
else.” Openly put the black aces face to face. Slide the face-to-face double
into the tabled wallet’s long pocket (right side), leaving a half inch or
less of its left side protruding. “Here are the black aces.” Slide the two
red aces, after displaying them, face down into the half pocket. Re-
peat, stress, where the colors are. Close the wallet by flipping its right
side over onto its left side.
Patter for a moment. End by asking, “Do you know in which pocket,
or which side, the . . . red aces are?” The answer should be “in the half
pocket” or “on the left side.”
Harry Lorayne 137

Open the wallet by opening the top panel to the left—all looks as it
should (because the left long side of the long pocket’s face-to-face black
aces still protrudes). Say, “You’re right, but watch!” Do your magical
gesture over the left side (supposed) red aces. Take them out and show
them to be the black aces. “Now—these are the black aces. So, the red
aces have to be here, right?” Indicate the long-pocket face-to-face cards.
“But I can do the same kind of magic with them.” Repeat the magical
gesture, then remove the face-to-face cards to show that they, too(?),
have changed to black aces! You’re displaying four black aces.
Place an AC and AS face to face and return them to the wallet’s
long pocket, just as they were. Show the remaining two black aces and
replace them face down into the half pocket. Close the wallet by flip-
ping the right side onto the left side. Start to put the wallet into a pocket,
as if the trick is over. Stop, table the wallet, and say, “It’s really all an
illusion you know.” Open the wallet to the “red ace” side (top panel
to the left).
Remove the long pocket’s face-to-face black aces, show them and
table them face up. Remove the half pocket’s aces, don’t show them
yet; drop them face down onto the face-up black aces. As you do that,
say, “Two black aces here—and two more black aces here.” Keep your
attention on the tabled cards as you close the (apparently) empty wallet
and pocket it. Say, “I can’t play cards (‘or do more tricks for you’) with
four black aces, so, some more magic . . . ” Magical gesture, and turn
up the two face-down cards to show that these black aces have magi-
cally changed back to red!

Afterthoughts: Definitely end as explained, with the aces on the table

and the wallet already out of sight. You don’t want it to look as if the
wallet is doing the magic. Act as if the wallet has (or had) nothing to
do with it—it’s used as a “convenience,” that’s all.
I’ve taught the openings and closings of the wallet as I do them
because it was easier for me to teach the routine that way. You may
prefer your own closing and opening methods. Obviously, it’s impor-
138 The Himber Wallet Book

tant to lock it all in so that you always close and open it casually, and
without hesitation.
Nice little “bonus” here—that is, the “color-changing aces” method.
This is an excellent impromptu item that you can use without the
Himber Wallet.
 Think Of A Number
(I ’m pleased with this one; check it out.) Through the years, an ef-
fect that I’ve used quite often is a quick mindreading trick, one in
which you tell the spectator to think of any number between 1 and 50.
He (or she) is to make each digit an odd one—and different from each
other.
I’ve always liked the effect but I found that there was just a bit too
much chance involved. (Although I solved it in other ways other than
using the Himber Wallet.) Of course, a nail writer would solve it, but
then it wouldn’t be necessary to force certain numbers; it would be an
entirely different effect.
The basic problem is this: When someone is asked to think of a
number between 1 and 50, to make each digit an odd one and differ-
ent from each other, there are magicians who’ll swear that the person
will always say “35.” But, other magicians are sure that he (or she) will
say “37.”
And, when someone is instructed to think of any number between 50
and 100, to make each digit even and different from one another—some
will say “68” while others will think of “86.” Well, now you can do it
with little, or no, worry. The Himber Wallet is the perfect solution.
Here’s what you do: Get two blank-on-both-sides pieces of paper. The
size of the paper is immaterial; I do find it better if they’re rectangular.
On one surface of one piece write 35 and put a circle around it. Do
this a bit off center. On the other side of this same piece of paper do
the same thing. That is, write 35 with a circle around it at about the
same area. Then, cross this out in such a way that no one could be too
sure of what the second digit is. (Let the “3” be fairly clear.) On this
same surface (or side), also a bit off center—write 68 with a circle
around it.

139
140 The Himber Wallet Book

On the second piece of paper, do the same thing, except that you
use the numbers 37 and 86. On one side you’ll have the 37 circled; on
the other side, the 37 circled and crossed out, and the 86 circled. (I
know this seems a bit confusing. Not to worry; it will clear up for you
as you continue and when you look at Figure 49—which shows both
sides of one of the papers.)
Place the two pieces of paper into the wallet, loose and one on each
side. Familiarize yourself with how to open the wallet in order to show
each one of the four surfaces. Incidentally, once you have the papers
properly prepared, and know their positions in the wallet, you can use

Figure 49

Figure 50
Harry Lorayne 141

the same papers each time you perform this effect. I’d suggest that you
keep them in the same positions, to avoid memory lapses.
Now, the effect: Ask a spectator to think of any number between 1
and 50 and to make each digit odd, and different from each other.
(Make this clear to him or her.) When he says that he’s done so, ask
him not to change his mind. Act as if you’re trying to read his thoughts.
Open the wallet; don’t let him see the piece of paper inside, and say,
“I have it.” Start to write a number on the paper. Of course, you only
pantomime the writing. Make it look as legitimate as you can.
Close the wallet and ask the spectator to say out loud the number
he’s thinking of. He’ll say either 37 or 35. Open the wallet to show that
you have written the correct number; you’ve read his mind! Of course,
you’ve opened the wallet so that the named number only is seen, with
the circle around it.
Hold the wallet in open position with the paper still in it. “You may
think that that was simply a coincidence. Well, let me do it for you
again.” As you say this, tilt the open wallet up toward you so that the
paper is out of spectators’ line of sight—and pantomime crossing out
the number you’ve just shown!
“Let’s make it a bit more difficult. This time, think of any number
between fifty and one hundred, but make each digit an even digit and
different from each other.” Again, go through the mindreading bit, and
finally act as if you’re writing another number. “Write” in the approxi-
mate area where you’ve “set” 68 and 86. Close the wallet.
Ask for the thought-of number. It will be either 68 or 86. Open the
wallet to show the correct one. Your spectators see the first number
crossed out and the number just thought of 68 or 86 written clearly!
(Figure 50.)

Afterthoughts: So you see, now you can perform an old, interesting ef-
fect in new dress—without worrying about it. The “chance” is down
to a minimum.
And, just a thought: Memorize the first word on page 35 and 37 of
a book. Have that book lying nearby. After you’ve read your spectator’s
142 The Himber Wallet Book

mind—either 35 or 37—point to the book, and say, “Please turn to

the page number you thought of.” Have him (or her) concentrate on
the first word—and read his mind! Or—memorize the cards at 8th and
10th positions in a deck of cards. Have the spectator add the two dig-
its of his thought-of number (35 or 37) and then count down to that
card (in a shuffled deck, if you want to bother) and read his mind. As
I said, just a thought.
 Count-Revertable Aces
W esley James’s inspirations for this excellent routine were Ed-
ward Victor’s Eleven-Card Trick and Ed Marlo’s Gad-About
Aces. The ending owes a bit to (Jacob) Daley’s Last Trick. In Wesley’s
words, “The Himber Wallet is used as an adjunct to, rather than the
central feature of, this routine.” It’s exactly what I talked about in the
Foreword—don’t make it look as if the wallet is what’s “doing” the
magic. You are doing that—the wallet just happens to be there, makes
it all “convenient.” Anyway . . .

The basic effect: One ace is missing. It’s found in the wallet. The four
aces are counted but, again, only three are there. And, again, the miss-
ing ace is found in the previously empty wallet. Another count, and
there are five aces. One is put back into the wallet. Aces counted and
still there are five. Once more one ace is disposed of—and, this time,
when the remaining aces are counted, there are only two, the red ones.
The wallet is opened in search of the black aces, but two reds are
found. The red aces in your hand are seen to have changed to the
blacks!
My assumption here must be that you know basic card handling.
You’ll need the Himber Wallet and six aces—four from the deck in
play and an extra, matching, AH and AD. Place the duplicate AH into
one side of the wallet, either into the half pocket, or loose—it doesn’t
matter. The AD goes into the other side, same way. You have to re-
member which is where so that when you take the wallet out of your
pocket you can open it to the AH side without hesitation. The four
“deck” aces are out of the deck and in CHSD order top to bottom. Your
audience can see you removing them from the deck, or picking them
off the table, but don’t let the actual number of cards be seen.

143
144 The Himber Wallet Book

Hold the ace packet face up; you’re going to count them from hand
to hand. I’ll leave the exact handling to you because each person will
do this a bit differently. Assume the packet is in your right hand. Peel
the (top) face ace (AD) into your left hand, counting “one.” Do a block
pushoff of the next two cards (AS/AH, as one) onto the AD, counting
“two.” Peel or take the remaining card (AC) onto the left-hand cards,
counting “three.” Your patter, during the count, is—“For this trick I
need four aces—one, two, three . . . ” Act surprised as you (casually)
re-count/display like this: Spread off the top ace. Buckle the bottom
card so that you can “spread off” a double—the AS with AH hidden
behind it. You’re flashing three aces, no AH. Say, “I need the ace of
hearts,” as you square the (apparently) three aces. Table the face-up
ace packet, or not, whichever is (or will be) convenient for you.
Take out the Himber Wallet and open it to reveal, and remove, the
AH. Be sure that the wallet is seen to be empty, and close it. Flip it over
as you table it. Slide the AH to under the ace packet. The order now,
face to rear: AC, AS, AH, AD, AH. Repeat the remark about needing
“four aces—one, two, three . . . ” as you do the same peel/reverse count:
Peel off the face ace (AC—“one”), block pushoff the next three as one
(AS shows—“two”), the remaining AH onto all (“three”). The AD isn’t
seen. Act confused, and spread to display three aces, as before. Without
reversing the order, push/spread off the face AH, then buckle the bot-
tom card so that you can take the AS (3-card block) under the AH (Fig-
ure 51). “I need the ace of diamonds.” Square the aces.

Figure 51
Harry Lorayne 145

Open the wallet to reveal, and remove, the AD; the wallet is seen
to be otherwise empty. Place the face-up AD onto the face-up ace
packet. And count again, as before. “Okay; one, two, three, four . . . five?”
The action (count) to match: Peel the AD, peel the AH onto it, then
the AS. Block pushoff the next two as one (AH/AD—“four”), and fi-
nally the AC (“five”).
Continue—“Now I have too many; I don’t need two clubs.” (You
don’t have two clubs, but your spectators will accept the “lie.”) As you
talk, your right thumbtip lifts the two top, face, cards (AC/AH), pre-
paring them for a double lift. Move this double card a bit to the right
as your left hand turns the remaining 4-card block face down—you
don’t want the AD to flash. Rest the face-up double on the face-down
packet, stepping it to the right. Hold it in place with your left thumb
(Figure 52).
Pick up the Himber Wallet with your right hand. Stop for a beat as
if just realizing that you can’t turn down the AC with a handful of
wallet. Put down the wallet, flip the double card face down onto the
face-down packet and immediately push off the top card (AH; audi-
ence thinks it’s the AC). Take it with your right hand as your left hand
(still holding its packet) moves to pick up the wallet.
Open the wallet (if it isn’t already open)—it’s empty; let that be
seen, then tilt it toward you. Turn the right-hand card (AH) face
toward you—the wallet shades it (Figure 53). Close the wallet with-

Figure 52
146 The Himber Wallet Book

Figure 53

out flashing the AH (see Afterthoughts). Table the wallet, turning it

over as you do.
Flip the in-hand packet face up (AD shows). Reverse count the cards
legitimately. Repeat—“I need four aces—one, two, three, four—five?
Too many; I don’t need two clubs. Didn’t I just do this?!” What fol-
lows looks as if, again, you put the AC into the empty wallet. This is
how Wes does it; after you learn it, you can change the handling how-
ever you like.
Buckle (or pull down) the rear card (AD). Take the packet from
above with your right hand, right thumb taking over the break above
the AD. Immediately peel the face ace (AC) and the rear ace (AD), in
alignment, into your left hand. You want it to look only as if you’ve
peeled the face AC. Turn the right-hand 3-card block face down and
slide it under the face-up double card; leave the face-up double
outjogged about an inch.
Pick up the wallet with your left hand; the cards in that hand move
partially under the wallet. Open the wallet to its empty side. “Realize”
that you can’t get to the AC this way, snap the wallet shut, turning it
over. Table the wallet, then flip the AC (double card) face down onto
the face-down 3-card block and immediately push off the top single card,
taking it with your right hand. Pick up the wallet with your left hand.
Harry Lorayne 147

Tilt the wallet toward you, open it to the AH side, and slide the
face-toward-you AD under the AH; the two cards are slightly spread.
Close the wallet without flashing the red aces. Table the wallet.
Flip face up the 4-card in-hand packet. Count it as two aces. Simply
peel the face AD, then place the remaining 3-card block, as one card
(AH) onto it. “Oh boy—I need four aces, and I have—one, two . . .
only two red aces.” Flip the packet face down and re-count by push-
ing off the 3-card block first, the remaining single card onto that. (“One,
two.” You have to do this to set for the ending.)
Pick up the wallet with your left hand, the packet of cards moving
partially under the wallet. Open the wallet to reveal the two red aces!
Act surprised—“What the . . . ?” Secretly leave only the two top
left-hand cards under the wallet. Push them to the right with your left
thumb and hold them in place under the wallet with your right fin-
gers. Close and table the wallet with the two red aces hidden under it.
Spread off the two top in-hand cards and take them with your right
hand. Turn over the two left-hand cards to reveal the black aces. Count
all four cards once more—it’s finally correct, four aces. Continue with
your “originally planned” 4-ace routine!

Afterthoughts: Remember, please, that I’ve taught this basically as Wes

does it. It reads complicated, I know, but familiarize yourself with the
routine—it’s quite easy, really—then handle it as you wish. The proper
presentation is the difficult part, not the actual handling. You may pre-
fer to put the supposed AC into the wallet, each of the two times, face
down instead of face up. Easier handling; up to you. And, if you need
an extra ace for the ensuing routine, unload only one ace under the
wallet.
Wes never uses this routine as an entity unto itself; it’s always a
lead-in to a 4-ace routine. The entire presentation is that you need
four aces for that routine.
Finally, it’s easy enough to unload under the wallet, and pick up/
clean up later. But, there is an alternative—it’s mentioned elsewhere
in this book. The two extra red aces can be pushed into the wallet via
148 The Himber Wallet Book

the “split” that’s right there to accept them (down the open wallet’s
center, and underside) if the long pocket is at the right panel of the
open wallet. Your left fingers will have to maneuver the two cards all
the way in so that they’re completely covered. This is good—look up
the details in this book (see Slitsville).
 Special Object
T his is George Laing’s suggestion. It utilizes the counting-
from-left-to-right or right-to-left idea (as in one of the Five Star
Miracle methods). What you’ll need, other than the Himber Wallet
and the predictions therein, is a special object, a talisman. It has
to be an item that looks exotic, unique and/or mysterious. Perhaps
a miniature skull, a miniature pyramid (to represent “pyramid
power”), or a special or unique-looking piece of crystal. Up to you.
For teaching purposes, let’s assume that your “special” object is a
small crystal.
Before going into the, by now, simple basic effect, let’s “do” the
predictions. What George suggests is that they be done in the form of
short, two-line, rhymes—doggerel. Four predictions will “cover” eight
positions. Here are the example predictions I’ve come up with. Use
them or make up your own.

YOU CAN SEE THAT IT’S TRUE,

THE CRYSTAL IS AT NUMBER TWO.
IT’S NO SURPRISE TO ME,
THE CRYSTAL IS AT NUMBER THREE.
FOLLOWING A PSYCHIC LAW,
THE CRYSTAL LIES AT NUMBER FOUR.
THE CRYSTAL WILL ARRIVE
TO POSITION NUMBER FIVE.

Place these predictions into the wallet so that you can open to any
one of them—perhaps positions two and three on one side, and four

149
150 The Himber Wallet Book

and five on the other. Do it as already explained in this book—either

in double envelopes or on blank (on both sides) cards.

Performance: Tell your spectators that you need “Oh, about nine small
objects.” Collect them. They can be any kind of common items—a
coin, a comb, a pocket knife, a ring, a pen, a key, a $1 bill, eyeglasses,
a business card, a saltshaker, a glass, and so forth. Collect nine such
items. Then bring out your special object, the mysterious, magical,
piece of crystal. Go into your patter about the eerie powers of this
special object. I have to leave this to you, of course. Get as serious or
as tongue-in-cheek as you like.
Bring out your wallet, table it to one side, in full view; mention that
there’s a prediction in it. Place the crystal among the borrowed items,
and have a volunteer who is seated opposite you place all the items
into a tabled, left-to-right horizontal row. Explain that he has com-
plete freedom to place the items in any order he likes.
Now, he can place the crystal to any position in the row, except at
an end of the row. Rarely will a spectator do that. (Don’t tell him not
to do it, of course.) If he does, use any patter you think of to make him
change its position. Again, I have to leave this to your persuasive pow-
ers. I don’t think it will ever be a problem, but—here’s an “out.”
If he does position it at an end, instruct him to point to any other
person. Ask that (other) person to move any number of objects he likes
(between 1 and 10; you might ask for the number between 1 and 10 first),
from either end of the row to the other. Stress the free-choice angle—
any number from either end to the other. Of course, none of it makes
any difference to you. Whatever number of items he moves from
whichever end to the other accomplishes the goal—to get the crystal
away from an end (position #1 or #10). As I said, you’ll probably never
need this “out,” but it’s good to know.
If the crystal ends up at 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 5th positions, count to it
from your left. If it’s at 6th, 7th, 8th or 9th position, let your helper
count to it. He counts from his left to the position that corresponds to
your position 2, 3, 4 or 5! Look at the diagram that follows. That’s how
Harry Lorayne 151

you’d be looking at the row of items. The X’s represent the items. It
also demonstrates how your volunteer would be looking at the lay-
out.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
X X X X X X X X X X
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

As usual, only the buildup remains to be done. So do it. And end by

opening the wallet to the correct prediction. Let a spectator read it
out loud. End.

Afterthoughts: Yes, it’s a prediction effect. As mentioned elsewhere, that’s

the largest part of the wallet’s “nature,” that’s what it enables you to
do, mostly—predict. With proper presentation, proper showmanship,
this particular effect becomes different than most.
 Not-So-Special Object
I t’s been so many years since I’ve used some of these ideas that some-
thing has to jog my memory. My memory was jogged the instant I
started to write the preceding routine. Set your wallet to reveal any
one of four predictions, predicting four common items that might be
volunteered—items that are usually in pocket or purse, or that are
worn, like jewelry. You might use—I PREDICT YOU’LL DECIDE
ON THE RING (and PEN, DOLLAR BILL, COIN). It’s pretty sure
that you’ll “get” at least one of these. If you have to, and only if you
have to, you can casually point to someone’s ring—“Why don’t you
throw that into the pot?”—or suggest a $1 bill, and so forth (see After-
thoughts).
Okay; show the wallet, say that there’s a prediction inside, and leave
it on the table in full view. Then ask for “oh about five or six common
items, something from a pocket, whatever is handy.” If you understand
the magician’s choice concept you know that you can work with more
objects, seven or eight if need be. So you can keep accepting objects
until at least two of the ones you’ve predicted are there.
This is a “flexible” area. If you see three or all four of your pre-
dicted objects coming forth you can ask for more objects. Or—you
may want to stop at five no matter what. You’ll have to do what you
feel is best for you. You need to be confident that you can force one of
the four vital objects via magician’s choice.
Then, select a volunteer. Ask him to pick up any two objects—or,
to pick up one. If that one is one of your predicted items, end right
there. If not, immediately say, “And one with your other hand.” If he’s
holding a vital object, ask him to hand you one. Standard procedure—
if he hands you the vital object, you say, “Fine; this is the one you want.”
If he hands you the other object, pay no attention to it as you discard

152
Harry Lorayne 153

it, and look at the object he’s still holding—“Fine; that’s the one you
want.”
If he picks up two non-vital items, take them from him, discard them,
saying, “Fine; you’ve narrowed it down a bit.” Continue that way. If
you prefer to have him pick up two items right away, and if he picks
up two vital ones, build the fact that he can hand you any one and
“that’s the one we’ll use,” and so forth.
So, force any one of the vital objects, build up the free(?) choice
angle, and the fact that members of the audience supplied the items
in the first place, and open the wallet to display the correct predic-
tion.

Afterthoughts: You can, if you prefer, place your own four, five, or more
objects onto the table. Since the fact that you can predict any one of
four objects via the Himber Wallet is not known to your spectators,
it’s still a strong effect. Table the items as if you just thought of each
one. Easy then to have all four vital objects plus one or two non-vital
ones on the table. And, extremely easy to force one of the vital ones
via magician’s choice.
Of course you can, under certain circumstances, use objects that
are visible, that are on the table and/or within reach. You’d have four
blank cards (and envelopes, if you’re using them) ready and waiting
in the wallet. Memorize four of the items—those you want to predict.
And, one quick visit to the bathroom is time enough to write out the
predictions. You’re set to go.
There’s a more “specific” magician’s choice handling in To A Star-
tling End—a few items ahead.
 Better Than A Clipboard
T he Himber Wallet can take the place of a clipboard enabling you
to do the (fairly standard) audience mindreading thing. It might
even work better than a clipboard for you (it’s certainly smaller, easier
to carry).
Here’s what you do: Fold a slip of paper into quarters (in half, then
in half again), put it into a pay envelope—seal the envelope. This is
your dummy; place it inside the wallet.
Before your official appearance, approach an audience member. Do
it in private, if possible, although that’s not crucial—you may want a
witness. Give him (or her) a piece of paper that matches the dummy,
and a pay envelope. Say that you’d like him to concentrate on a (what-
ever) starting now, because that’d help you “catch” his thought later.
Ask him to draw a picture on the paper (or write a word, a number,
etc.—it’s according to what you want to present on stage). Be sure that
he’s aware of the fact that you cannot possibly see what he’s drawing
or writing; walk away from him.
Instruct him to concentrate on what he wrote (or drew) and to fold
the paper into quarters, and to seal it inside the envelope. Open your
wallet to the empty side, and ask him to put the envelope into the
wallet. As usual, it’s good to have some bills or checks in the long pocket
(at the right). And, of course, make sure the envelope is situated just
as is your dummy on the other, hidden, side of the wallet. Close the
wallet, ask him to remember, and concentrate on, the drawing he made,
and start to leave.
“Oh wait; I think it would be better if you initialed it.” Open the
wallet to expose the dummy envelope. All looks as it should; the bills
or checks are seen in the long pocket (their reverse sides, of course),
and so on. Let him take the envelope; give him a pen or pencil.

154
Harry Lorayne 155

He initials (or signs, if you prefer) the envelope. Start to take back
the envelope, then change your mind again. “You know, as long as you
remember what you drew (or wrote) and as long as you concentrate
on it from now on, there’s no reason for me to keep this. You may even
think that there’s some way I can get into this envelope. So, why don’t
you burn it!” Let him do so. Give him matches, cigarette lighter, ash-
tray—all necessary paraphernalia.
Stress the fact that only he knows what he drew or wrote, no one
else in the world does. Make this strong; at the moment, it’s true! Ask
him again to concentrate on it until you “use” him—and not to tell
anyone what he’s concentrating on. When you’re alone in your dress-
ing room, or wherever, learn/memorize the drawing, or whatever.
That’s it.
When you’re ready to use this during your performance, ask the
audience member to stand, then to come up on stage. Do this how-
ever you like. If you know his initials (because you noted them when
he initialed the envelope) you can do the standard, “Is there a person
with the initials R-E in the audience?”
When he comes up—“Did you draw a picture before the show?”
He affirms. “Did anyone at all other than yourself see that drawing?”
He assures the audience that no one saw it. (All this looks good be-
cause it’s all true—so far as your volunteer is concerned.) “Did you
then destroy it? Burn it? So that there was no way for anyone to ‘get’
that information?” He affirms. Go as far as you like with this; make it
as strong as you think your audience will put up with! Always within
reason, of course.
Then, give him a large pad, or a large sheet of cardboard, and a magic
marker. He is to draw the picture he’s thinking of, without letting you,
or anyone, see it. You pick up your own pad or piece of cardboard.
Slide into “concentration mode” as you, too, draw a picture.
He turns his drawing to the front, toward the audience, and you,
with showmanship and dramatics, turn yours. The drawings match,
of course.
Acknowledge the applause.
156 The Himber Wallet Book

Afterthoughts: You may prefer not to talk about the “volunteer” having
drawn or written anything. Get him up on stage however you like,
then tell him to think of a design (or a number, word—whatever you
had him think of earlier). He thinks of what he wrote or drew before.
You can make sure of this by telling him so before your show. When
he draws or writes, tell him that this is what he’s to think of later. This
helps you because he “concentrates on it for a longer period of time.”
Also, there’s no reason why you can’t use a larger piece of paper
and have two or three people “concentrate” by writing (drawing) be-
fore the show. It’s burned, as explained. You now have two or three
“subjects.”
Fred Allen was one of the best-known, top-rated, comedians of the
time. He was considered to be an “intelligent” comedian. He was im-
portant.
Good Lord, it seems like a hundred years ago . . . Richard Himber
and I go into Sardi’s Restaurant for dinner. (Sardi’s was, and still
is, a celebrity “hangout.”)
As Dick and I are having a drink, a man approaches our table. I
look up—it’s Fred Allen! He says to me in his well-known,
easily-recogizable, nasal, drawl, “Are you Harry Lorayne?” I say,
“Yes, I am.”
He says, “I just want to tell you that I think you are, without a
doubt, the best cardman I’ve ever seen—and I’ve seen many.” (I had
done some close-up stuff on television.) “And, what you do with your
memory is unbelievable . . . ” and he went on like that for about five
minutes!
He ended by saying, “I just wanted to shake your hand.” We shook
hands, he glanced at Himber, and left.
I mean, this was Fred Allen—radio, stage, television, star. It
sure “made my day.” I floated on air for the remainder of that week.
I told everyone about it—I bragged about it.
Well, years passed (and I was no longer so “awed” by celebrity). I
was doing a television show somewhere, and Fred Allen was there,
rehearsing. We got into a conversation in the “green room,” and—it
finally came out:
At the time he approached me in Sardi’s that evening, those years
ago, Fred didn’t know me from Adam (if you’ll forgive a rusty plati-
tude). Himber had put him up to it—had arranged the whole thing,
told him what to say—everything.
Himber did things like that. And he never let on, never told me.
He knew it’d make me feel good. It did. He let it go at that.
 ⟭
IV
Wide And Free
To A Startling End
Polaroid Money
Lucky Seven
Signed, Torn, Restored
For A Really Free Choice
Luciforce
Interlude
Poker Thing
Slitsville
Wild Jokers
Basic Signed Card to Wallet
Entre Nous
Flip To Clip
Clips Trip
Sum Prediction And Book Test
 Wide And Free
T he effect originally suggested to me was to force a card; let a spec-
tator place either, say, a penny or a quarter onto it—his (or her)
choice. Then the prediction in the wallet would read, “YOU WILL
PLACE THE QUARTER ONTO THE FIVE OF HEARTS!” There
are only two choices of coins, but the fact that a playing card is also
predicted makes it strong. But not strong enough!
First of all, you’d need only two predictions—either the penny or
the quarter on the force card. Why bother with the Himber Wallet?
You might just as well use one double-sided envelope, or a
double-sided card.
Okay; I immediately changed it so that four predictions are needed.
Automatically, the effect becomes so much stronger. To a layman, it’s
impossible. What you do is force two cards! That alone changes the
“aura” of the effect. Any force will do (the cut-deeper force, the Hindu
Shuffle Force or the Criss-Cross Force), but I’ll teach one that fits
perfectly for this. Then use whatever you like. First, the four predic-
tions:

YOU WILL PLACE THE PENNY ONTO THE FIVE OF HEARTS!

YOU’LL PLACE THE QUARTER ONTO THE FIVE OF HEARTS!
YOU WILL PLACE THE PENNY ONTO THE QUEEN OF CLUBS!
YOU’LL PLACE THE QUARTER ONTO THE QUEEN OF CLUBS!

Set these into the Himber Wallet, either four one-side predictions
into two double-sided pay envelopes, or two predictions onto each of
two blank-on-both-sides cards. Memorize positions, of course, so that
you can open the wallet to any one of the four without hesitation, with-
out fidgeting.

161
162 The Himber Wallet Book

Place the wallet onto the table. You can, if you like and if you’re
using pay envelopes, open the wallet. Indicate the bills in the long
pocket (it’s always a good idea to have bills in that pocket), and say, “I
could bet big money that I know what you’re going to do before you
do it. But, let’s keep it friendly. I’ll bet my twenty-five cents against
your one penny.”
Take the quarter from the wallet’s half pocket (or simply take it
out of your jacket pocket) and table it. Close the wallet and table it in
full view as you get your spectator to put up a penny. If he doesn’t
have one, lend him one, or get another spectator to do so.
Then, pick up the deck of cards, which has the 5H and QC on top.
Shuffle, keeping those two cards on top. The shuffling of the deck at
this point is important; it adds to the impossibility of the outcome.
Then, hand the deck to your spectator.
Say that you want to give him wide and free choices. Tell him to start
to deal cards from the top of the deck—face down and one at a time,
into a tabled packet. He’s to stop dealing whenever he likes. Patter a
bit at the start of the dealing; you want him to deal at least, say, eight
to ten cards. It doesn’t really matter; eighteen to twenty is also good.
And you don’t need to do any counting.
When he stops, have him put aside the deck proper and pick up the
dealt packet. Instruct him to deal the cards into two tabled packets,
dealing alternately. I find this to play better if I rush my spectator just
a bit. When he stops dealing, there’s a vital card (5H or QC) on top of
each packet. This does seem obvious, yet it isn’t—not even to intelli-
gent laymen. Anyway, shuffling the deck before the dealing starts is
what “makes” it.
“You stopped dealing when you decided to (true), you dealt cards
into packets as you desired (lie)—now here comes another choice.”
Indicate the top card of each packet. “Which would you rather use,
this card . . . or this one?” It doesn’t matter which he selects, of course.
Place the selected card face down at center of your working sur-
face. If you like, you can show the other card (“You could have se-
lected the . . .”), and perhaps a few others. Move all but the selected
Harry Lorayne 163

Figure 54

card out of the way. “Now, another decision to make. Pick up either
one of those two coins, and put it onto your face-down card. Your
choice.” Let him do so.
At this point, if you know which card it is (no problem at all, and no
memory work either; when you show the other card—“You could have
selected the . . .”—you know which one he did select), you can open
the wallet to the proper side, or open it slightly only to toss your pen
or pencil inside.
Buildup. Then let him turn face up, his freely-selected(?) card. The
coin lies next to it (Figure 54). Do a little more buildup, then let your
prediction be read out loud.

Afterthoughts: I like it. As is. You could force the two coins, but I think
that would complicate matters. Try this and you’ll see that it seems,
to the layman, that there are more choices available to him than there
really are. Presented properly, this can be a stunner.
 To A Startling End
Q uite a few years ago I came up with an ending, a “reveal,” of a
selected card that I like a lot. In my obviously biased opinion,
it’s awfully good—and versatile/utilitarian. I thought to myself—how
can I make the Himber Wallet part of it? In other words, how can I tie
the two together? Well, once I thought of the combination at all, it
became quite obvious.
The ending—I call it the Reverse Faro Ending—is done with five
cards. Ordinarily, a selected card would be controlled to top or bot-
tom, then five cards would be removed, with the vital one at bottom.
Using the Himber Wallet, you can go into that ending with, appar-
ently, five randomly selected (by the spectator) cards. Should be ob-
vious to you now. (I’ll mention an entirely different ending afterward.)
Try this simple way. Put four cards face down into the wallet’s half
pocket. The duplicate of the bottom card of the four is the card you’ll
force from the deck in play during performance.
Force that duplicate; let the spectator remember it, show it to all,
replace it, and shuffle the deck. Then, do a wide face-down table rib-
bon spread and ask your spectator to pull out any card. He does—
nobody looks at its face. Take it and place it into the Himber Wallet’s
empty half pocket, saying that you’ll leave it there for safekeeping.
Choices here. You can leave the wallet open as more cards are re-
moved from the spread and placed into it, or close it then open it each
time, or insert two cards, then close it, and so on. Gotta leave this to
you. I think that closing and opening the wallet at least a couple of
times is good; it gets your audience used to the action.
Okay; he pulls another card (any card) out of the spread. Slide it
into the half pocket onto the first randomly-selected card, or let your

164
Harry Lorayne 165

spectator do it. My patter is that the more cards selected the better
the odds that he’ll pull out his thought-of card. “So, grab another one.”
You want four cards placed into the half pocket this way. Then close
the wallet. Of course, there’s another choice—you can let him pull
out four cards, then put all four into the empty half pocket at one time.
Close the wallet.
“I think I’m biting off more than I can chew here. I’d better have
another card. The spectator pulls out another card. (Or, it may work
for you if you pull out this last card—with “concentration.”) Open the
wallet to the prepared side. Slide the card onto these four, then remove
all five. (You may want to close the wallet [using the pencil or pen
idea?], patter for a moment, then open to the same side.) Pocket the
wallet. You’ve accomplished the necessary—the selected card (dupli-
cate) is at bottom of these five cards. The wallet is out of play.
Mix the five cards, if you like, keeping the vital card at bottom.
Then—into my Reverse Faro Ending:
Do a quick reverse faro. That is, outjog the second and fourth cards
(Figure 55). Strip out those two outjogged cards and turn them face
up, end for end, to top (Figure 56). Repeat exactly—you’ll be turning
one face-up and one face-down card onto top. Repeat again but, this
time, the two outjogged cards are stripped out, turned over end for

Figure 55
166 The Himber Wallet Book

end, and placed to bottom. (Figure 57—note that only the center card is
now face down.)
The selected card doesn’t flash throughout—only indifferent cards
are seen. Spread the five cards and stress that only this one card (indi-
cate the center card) is face down. Ask for the name of the thought-of
card—and slowly and dramatically turn over that center card. It’s the
correct card, of course. It’s quite strong.

)_

Another way to handle it (if you’re concerned about forcing the one
card, is to have the duplicates of the four “walleted” cards on top of

Figure 56

Figure 57
Harry Lorayne 167

the deck. Shuffle, keeping them there, then “range force” any one of
them. That’s easier. You will, of course, have to know which one you’ve
forced. Then, when the five cards are taken out of the wallet, mix them,
bringing that duplicate to bottom.

)_

Another good way to end when you have five cards, the duplicate
of the selected card at bottom (or at any known position) is via a
magician’s choice. Similar to the method taught in Not-So-Special
Object, except that it’s a bit more “specific” when one card must be
forced.
Table and mix the five face-down cards, spreading them around at
center table. Keep your eye on the vital one. Then, “Would you pick
up any one of those cards, please.” The best scenario, obviously, is if
he picks up the vital card now. Then you’d turn up the other four, say-
ing, “You could have selected this card, or this one,” and so forth. Ask
for the name of the card—and end. Startling!
The odds, obviously, are (4 to 1) against that. So, as he picks up
any other card, say, “And another one with your other hand.” The
next best scenario is if he picks up the vital card with his other hand
(although all scenarios are good). Then immediately say, “And hand
me either one of them.” If he hands you the vital card—“Good . . .”
and casually take the card he’s still holding and table it with the other
three. “. . . Of course, you could have selected this card . . . ,” end as
above.
If the vital card is not the second card he picks up at first—take the
two cards from him and toss them aside, without paying any atten-
tion to them. Say, “Now, it’s nitty-gritty time.” It’s important to make
your spectators think that you were “gearing to just this situation” and
that what he does now is crucial.
“Please pick up any one of those three.” Indicate the three remain-
ing tabled cards. Handle it exactly as at the start; if he picks up the
vital card—end. (Because you acted as though this part was important,
ending here “works.”)
168 The Himber Wallet Book

If he doesn’t pick up the vital card first, immediately say, “And

another one with your other hand.” Always make it appear as if this is
the way you always do it.
If he picks up the vital card as the second card, again, end as taught.
That is, immediately say, “And hand me either one . . .” etc. And if he
doesn’t pick up the vital card, that card is the only one at center table.
Great! Take the two cards from him, casually discard them, and say,
“I’ve given you all the choices—and this is the card you’ve left.” Ask
for the name of the thought-of card—and turn up the tabled card!

Afterthoughts: I wanted to teach you both endings. They can be used in

so many different ways, at so many different times, and under many
different circumstances—with or without the Himber Wallet.
Using either one in conjunction with the wallet “ain’t too shabby.”
Either one is a stunning revelation or location of a selected card!
 Polaroid Money
I t’s not one of the things to which I ever gave much thought, so I
guess I’ve a good excuse for not remembering why Polaroid Money
did not appear in the first book, BEST OF BILL-FOOLED. But I do
remember that it was the routine Richard Himber himself performed
more than any other—with the wallet. If you moved within ten feet
of him, you’d have no choice—you’d see Polaroid Money!
Anyway, it did appear in THE HUNDRED DOLLAR BOOK (and
has been ripped off, along with Instant Money, many times word for
word, through the years). What follows, except for some editing and
a few changes and clarifications, is from that book. I debated with
myself about changing the bill denominations because $2 bills were
plentiful back then; now they aren’t. But I decided to leave it as is. You
can get $2 bills at a bank, I believe. If not, change the denominations
any way you like. Now, directly (almost) from THE HUNDRED
DOLLAR BOOK . . .

Preparation: Place two crisp new unfolded $1 bills into the half pocket,
on the left panel of one side of the wallet. Prepare two crisp $1 bills by
affixing a cut-to-size piece of opaque white paper onto their reverse
(“tail”) sides. (Use rubber cement so that you can re-use the bills.) Cut
another piece of the same white paper to size of a bill and place it into
the long pocket on the right panel of that side. On this piece of pa-
per—and also in the long pocket—place the two gimmicked bills,
white paper surface up (Figure 58).
Close the wallet and re-open it to the empty side. (Part of the left
long side of the white paper will show at the right, in the long pocket.)
Place two crisp new $5 bills tail side up into the left-side half pocket.
On top of these place a $5 bill that’s been cemented to a $2 bill, re-

169
170 The Himber Wallet Book

verse (or tail) side to reverse side. (Let’s call it “back to back.”) The $2
bill obverse surface is upward. And onto that, place another, similarly
gaffed, $5/$2 bill—also $2 obverse (Jefferson) surface up.
And onto all this, in the half pocket, place a regular $2 bill, facing
the same way (Jefferson up). Better check it: The obverse (Jefferson)
surface of a crisp new $2 bill should be upward, facing you, at the
wallet’s left side. Under that is a $5/$2, Jefferson side of the $2 bill
upward. Then, under that is the second $5/$2 facing the same direc-
tion and, finally, under all—two regular, crisp, reverse side up, $5 bills.
If that checks out . . .

Performance: Let’s assume, for explanation purposes, that when you

open the wallet from right to left, you’ll expose the first prepared side—
the $1 bills in the half pocket. That’s how to begin. Open the wallet
from right to left. Talk about how Polaroid film enables you to make
money as you remove a $1 bill from the left half pocket and a “piece
of Polaroid film” (a white paper with a $1 bill cemented to its under-
side) from the right-panel long pocket.

Figure 58
Harry Lorayne 171

Say that you don’t need a camera, and that the exposure time is only
one second. Place the un-gaffed tail-side-up $1 bill onto the right panel’s
long pocket (not into the pocket), and onto it place the “film.” Now, as
taught in Instant Money and Check It Out, close the right panel of
the wallet over onto the left panel (like turning the page of a book).
Count “one” (for one second) and open the wallet the same way
(you are, of course, not using the basic principle of the wallet here).
You’ve simply turned over the two loose items. Your audience sees
two $1 bills. The gaffed bill, $1 side up, is under the regular $1 bill.
(Apparently one bill has been “printed” or “filmed.”)
Spread these two so that all can see the two bills clearly. Casually
turn the upper bill over and back letting both regular surfaces be seen.
This is important—be sure to flash both sides of this bill. Then put
the two bills back into the left-panel half pocket. At the same time,
remove the other genuine $1 bill. Also remove the other gaffed bill
from the right-panel long pocket. And repeat exactly as before, caus-
ing the Polaroid instant film to “photograph” the $1 bill. And again,
flash both sides of the un-gaffed bill. Place both into the half pocket.
Now remove the remaining piece of white paper from the long
pocket. Flash both sides. Make an issue over keeping its original sur-
face upward (that’s the “sensitive” side!) as you put it into the left-panel
half pocket onto the $1 bills. Close the wallet. Patter a bit about
over-exposure (just some “time misdirection”), then count two seconds.
Open the wallet from left to right (left and right are really immate-
rial—open it to the other side) to show the other packet of bills on the
left. Your spectators see a $2 bill on top, where they just saw you place
a Polaroid film (piece of white paper). Say that this is because of the
over-exposure—two seconds (for two-dollar bill) instead of one second.
Remove the $2 bill, let both sides be seen as you place it aside. With
your right hand, spread the top two bills in the half pocket to display
two $2 bills. Careful not to expose the two $5 bills beneath them (Fig-
ure 59).
Align the bills and take out all four of them. Place them onto (out-
side of) the right-panel long pocket. Close the wallet, right panel over
172 The Himber Wallet Book

Figure 59
and onto the left panel, to turn over the four bills. Count “five” (for
five seconds), and open the wallet to show the four $5 bills! Spread them
and, casually, flash both sides of the upper two bills. Put these two
under the gaffed two bills, and replace all into the wallet’s pocket.
Routine over.

Afterthoughts: You’ll have to fill in your own patter and, of course, your
own handling, presentation, and so forth. I’ve seen the routine done
using the FISM Flash for the “photography.” That’s okay; I never
bothered—and it may take away from the “strength” of the changes.
Your call.
 Lucky Seven
F or a mindreading card effect that can be performed “platform” as
well as close up, this “ain’t bad.” Here’s the effect, method and pre-
sentation.
You’ll need a deck of cards, seven matching duplicate cards and the
Himber Wallet. To set up, take any seven spot cards from the deck.
It’s best to use spot cards of mixed colors and suits so that they can’t
be too easily remembered. For teaching purposes, let’s use the 3D, 4S,
5H, 6C, 7D, 7S, 8H. (I always use two like values, like the two 7-spots,
for a reason that I’ll mention later.)
These seven cards are kept together in one packet. Now remove
the mates (cards of the same value and color) of only six of those seven
cards—perhaps the 3H, 4C, 5D, 6S, 7H, 8D. Mix them and place this
packet face down into the left-panel half pocket of the wallet.
Then, you’ll need exact duplicates of the original seven cards. This
7-card (duplicate) packet is placed into your right outside jacket pocket
in such a way as to enable you to quickly reach any one of those seven
cards. This is how I would do it:
Keep the 3D, 4S, 5H, 6C—in that order—back to back with the 7D,
7S, 8H, in that order. You can, if you like (and as I prefer) give the
7-card packet a downward end-to-end bend before you set the cards as
explained. Keep the packet in your pocket with an end upward. You’ll
see that you never have to count more than two cards to get to any
one of the seven. (This is an idea for a “cheap” pocket index that I used
before I wrote the original Himber Wallet books. Figure 60 is how
it’d look in your pocket—approximately.)
Try it. You can start your (finger) count from either of the packet’s
faces, or stick your finger into the easily-felt space created by the
crimp—and count back to face in the correct direction. (In my two

173
174 The Himber Wallet Book

Figure 60

original Himber Wallet books I taught to set these cards face to face.
Back to back, as just taught, is much better.) If the 3D is the card you
need, it’s right at one face. If it’s the 5H, you’d count either to third
card from that face, or to the second card from the back-to-back junc-
ture. Just a bit of practice and getting used to and you’ll get to a needed
card instantly—although “instantly” is not really necessary.
Mix the original seven cards, then place the packet on top of the
deck proper. Put the deck into its cardcase, and you’re ready to begin.
Select a volunteer from the audience in the fairest way you know.
Take the deck out of its case and show the faces to your audience.
The idea is to show that the cards are unprepared in any way without
verbalizing that fact. False shuffle, keeping the seven vital cards on top.
An overhand jog shuffle or two is fine. (One or two face-up center
Hindu Shuffles can’t hurt.)
Face your assistant and patter to the effect that seven is the lucky
number for all magicians and mindreaders, so you’ll use any seven
cards. Take off the top seven cards with an attitude that clearly shows(?)
that you could be taking any seven cards. You might like to take three
or four from top, then do an incomplete overhand jog shuffle. I.e., injog
Harry Lorayne 175

the first card and shuffle off, then stop. Now you can poke a finger
under the injogged card and remove the three or four cards you need.
Place aside the deck proper.
Fan (or spread) the seven cards letting your audience get a quick
glimpse of them. Then turn the faces toward your volunteer. Ask him
to think of one of those cards. “Settle your mind on one of them, and
remember it well.” Don’t look at him as he does this, so that there’s no
suspicion of following his eyes, and so forth.
When he says that he’s thinking of one of the cards, shuffle them,
and say that you’ll try to read his mind. Fan the packet faces of cards
toward you and after a bit of concentrating remove (any) one of the
cards. Don’t flash it, of course, and place it into your right jacket pocket.
Keep it separated from the makeshift pocket index by settling it into
the pocket on its long side.
Now, open the Himber Wallet to its empty side and place the re-
maining 6-card packet into its half pocket. Do it openly. Close the
wallet, making a remark about keeping the cards safe and protected
so that you can’t get to them. (As usual, you may want to have some
bills in the long pocket—if you have a rationale for them which, in
turn, can give you a rationale for using the wallet in the first place.
“This money is for charity if I fail”—or whatever.)
Devote a few seconds to going over what has happened. “Remem-
ber; you thought of one card from this entire deck. I’ve tried to read
your mind—or catch that one thought. I’ve placed one card of the
original seven into my pocket (look at or indicate your pocket). The
other six cards are right here.” Open the wallet to its other side to show
the six duplicates. At this point, you can use the pencil or flap idea so
that, later, your spectator will be forced to open the wallet to that side.
“For the first time now, would you tell us the card you’re thinking
of?” Let’s assume his answer is—“The five of hearts.”
“The five of hearts! Well, if I’ve been successful, your card should
not, could not, be among the six we’ve placed aside.” Note that I don’t
mention “wallet” here—I want it to seem as if I could have put those
six cards anywhere. “Let’s check it out.” Open, or let your assistant
176 The Himber Wallet Book

open, the wallet (to the prepared side). Take out the six duplicate cards;
fan them faces toward the assistant. “Do you see your card—the five
of hearts?” As he looks at the six cards, which you’re holding in your
left hand, there’s ample time for you to reach into your pocket with
your right hand, count to the 5H, and stand ready to bring it out.
When he acknowledges that the 5H isn’t among the six cards (of
course he won’t see the card he’s thinking of no matter which it is;
that’s the point of the mates), say, “There’s no way it could be, be-
cause—that’s the card I originally put into my pocket!” Bring out the
5H and display it to all. End.

Afterthoughts: In my opinion, this is an effect that warrants repetition.

When I performed it years ago, then repeated it, no one ever noticed
that we were working with different cards. It’s the similarity of the cards
that does it. I’ve used two 7-spots in the original group so that the
helpers are subliminally prepared to see duplicates. They never re-
member which cards are duplicates, only that there were duplicates—
usually. They never get to look at the cards long enough for them to
really register.
All right then; if you intend to do the repeat, your original set-up/
preparation changes just a bit. You may find it easier to follow along
with the wallet and necessary cards in hand, otherwise it will seem
confusing.
Start this way: From two matching decks remove and set up two
packets of cards, each consisting of the 3D, 4S, 5H, 6C, 7D, 7S, 8H.
Then set two 6-card packets, each consisting of the mates—3H, 4C,
5D, 6S, 7H, 8D. Place one of the 7-card packets into your outside (right)
jacket pocket, as explained, prepared for my “instant” pocket index.
For the repeat, place one of the duplicate packets of the six mates into
your left outside jacket pocket, in the same way. The rest of the prepa-
ration is the same as before. The second duplicate 6-card packet is
placed into the wallet’s half pocket; the second 7-card packet is on top
of the deck proper.
The method is as described up to the point where you supposedly
read the assistant’s mind and place one of the seven cards into your
Harry Lorayne 177

right pocket. For this, you take two cards as one (one red and one black)
and place this (on its long side) into your right jacket pocket. Con-
tinue as before, completing the effect. (A 5-card packet [your audi-
ence thinks it’s a 6-card packet] is openly placed back into the wallet’s
left-side half pocket.) At the end, discard the (thought-of) card that
you just showed to all. Do it openly; you want everyone to know that
you have six cards remaining.
Now you can go right into the repeat with the same spectator, or—
have the first spectator point to a different person. Whichever way you
go, the helper will be dealing with six cards—the duplicates of which
are in your left outside jacket pocket. The wallet lies open either on
the table or in your hands. There are five cards in the other side’s half
pocket.
Your patter can be something along the lines that it might be con-
sidered pure luck the first time—so, you’d like to prove that it wasn’t
just luck by doing it again. Repeat exactly what you did the first time,
using the six cards, except that when you say you’re taking one card
to place into your pocket, really take only one. That card, however, is
placed into your left outside jacket pocket.
And of course, this time, when your assistant opens the wallet, he’ll
find just what he’s supposed to find—five cards. The card he thought
of will not be among them. You take it out of your left jacket pocket
(you’ve counted to it, as explained) and show it to your audience. That
should prove your point, shouldn’t it?
 Signed, Torn, Restored
I didn’t include torn-and-restored effects in either of my original
Himber Wallet books. Probably because I felt that it was obvious.
Of course the wallet is perfect for torn and restored cards—or bills,
or whatever. Even string or ribbon; see Cut And Restored Ribbon. For
example, you can have a 4S in each side of the wallet. Open the wal-
let, remove and display the 4S, and deliberately tear it into pieces. Place
the pieces into the wallet and close the wallet. Patter a bit, magical
gesture, and open the wallet to its other side to show that the 4S is
restored. You can have the cards in pay envelopes, you can let a spec-
tator hold a torn piece, then show that it matches at the end (by switch-
ing that piece), and so forth.
It’s simple but it fools those who aren’t aware of the wallet’s capa-
bilities. The idea can, as usual, be raised to a more sophisticated level.
I prefer to use a bill. If that bill is borrowed and signed, it’s that much
stronger. It will cost you a dollar each time you do it, but you may
find that it’s worth it!
It’s accomplished with two bills that have the same serial number.
As I’m sure you know, you can erase the last digit on two
consecutively-numbered bills. It can also be done by doing a
sleight-of-hand bill switch of a borrowed bill, by memorizing a serial
number quickly, and/or by miscalling a serial number memorized be-
fore your appearance. All these methods are fine, but I wanted to keep
it simple, using only the “switch factor” of the Himber Wallet, plus a
bit of audience byplay.
The preparation is easy and fast. With a black magic marker pen,
scribble an unreadable signature on the reverse side of the bill, across
its length. This will be flashed (only) during performance. Place the
bill (it is opened flat) into the half pocket of one side of the wallet—

178
Harry Lorayne 179

place it serial-number surface (obverse) up; the phony signature is not

visible (Figure 61). And, optional—you can have a front-on-both-sides
batch of checks in the long pocket, so that the top check (either side)
is seen whenever you open the wallet—or just two of them back to
back.

To Perform: Ask to borrow a $1 bill. Select one that looks like the pre-
pared bill, of course—not too new, not too old. Hand the black magic
marker to the spectator, and instruct him to sign his bill across its
length. Turn the bill so that he signs the reverse side. Indicate that you
want it signed across the entire length; tell him to write it large or small,
according to how you did the phony signature. In other words, try to
make it look as much like that as possible.
Bring out the wallet and open it to its empty side. Openly insert
the Washington-side (serial number-side)-up bill into the half pocket.
Insert it so that it is facing the same way as the prepared bill, of course.
Flip the wallet closed, although you don’t have to close it at this point.
I do it only so that the onlookers become accustomed to that action.
“You’ll recognize your one-dollar bill because you’ve signed it.”
Look at the other spectators. “But there may be some who think that’s
not enough.” Approach a spectator who is a bit away from the owner
of the bill, opening the wallet (if you’ve closed it) back to the
borrowed-bill side as you do. Remove the bill, casually show the sig-
nature as you say, “He’s signed his bill; now I’d like you to note and
record the serial number, please.”
Place the bill back into the half pocket and hold the open wallet.
One of the serial numbers is visible, just as in Figure 61. Let the spec-
tator record it. (You could use the “pen ploy” here, placing the pen into
the borrowed-bill side so that the spectator must open it that way. I
don’t think it’s necessary in this routine.) The spectator is, of course,
recording the borrowed bill’s serial number.
When he’s done so, close the wallet and patter a bit. “You’ll recog-
nize your signature, I’m sure. And (turn to the second spectator) you’ll
be able to check the serial number. Is that right? Right.” Open the wallet
180 The Himber Wallet Book

Figure 61

to the prepared-bill side and remove that bill. You can flash the phony
signature now, if you like—or just let it flash during the tearing.
Either table the wallet or hold it under your arm as you deliber-
ately tear the bill into pieces. Do let the signature flash somewhat
during the tearing; that’s the convincer. Place the pieces into the
wallet’s half pocket; close the wallet.
Build to your ending. Do your magical incantation and open the
wallet to the borrowed-bill side, to show it restored. Remove it and
hand it to spectator #2, as you casually pocket the wallet, so that he
can verify the serial number. Then bring it to the first spectator, who
checks and verifies his signature. All is as it should be, and the miracle
is over.

Afterthoughts: You can tape together the torn pieces of the bill after each
performance if you don’t want to waste a buck. And no, there’s no need
to do a corner-matching thing. It’s easy enough; you’d tear off a cor-
ner of the borrowed bill and switch it for the corner of the prepared
Harry Lorayne 181

bill. It isn’t necessary. You’d be “protesting too much”—over-proving.

The signature and the serial number are more than enough identifica-
tion. And yes, it’d be much easier if you omitted the serial number
part and just flashed the phony signature. Up to you; I like the serial
number idea.
Fill in your own patter, your own rationale for the closing and open-
ing of the wallet. I performed the effect quite a number of times. I found
that if the closings and openings are done casually, with hardly any
attention paid to them—hardly any attention is paid to them!
 For A Really Free Choice
I n The HW Book Test I discussed the idea that enables you to have
three prediction choices on each side of the Himber Wallet, giving
you six choices altogether. Well, how would you like to have a total
of eight or twelve written prediction choices? You can. The memory
work for twelve is somewhat more complicated than for eight, but once
you systemize it, it’s not too large a problem. (Not only that, but to
repeat a platitude of mine—nothing worthwhile comes too easily!)
When I came up with the three/six choice idea explained in The
HW Book Test, I immediately asked myself whether it was possible
to have a four/eight choice. Sure it is. The Himber Wallet I’m hold-
ing right now is about 7¼ by 3¼ inches when closed. So, cut a piece
of paper (paper—not cardboard) to a 5½ by 5½ inch square, approxi-
mately. Fold it in half once, and you have a 2¾ by 5½ inch rectangle.
(Remember, the measurements are approximate.) And—you have four
rectangular sides or surfaces!
Write one prediction at center of each surface. Hold the folded paper
as if it were a book. For teaching purposes, put a “1” on the top sur-

Figure 62

182
Harry Lorayne 183

face. Open that “book” and put a “3” on the left surface and a “4” on
the right. Close the fold and put a “2” on the rear surface. Each num-
ber, of course, represents a prediction. The predictions can be names
of cards, or what-have-you (Figures 62, 63 and 64).
Open the wallet with your left thumb; i.e., the upper panel of the
wallet opens to the left. Put your folded prediction paper into the
wallet onto the long pocket on the right. The fold should open slightly
when you open the wallet. That’s the reason for using paper; card-
board or heavy paper may lie too flat, the fold won’t open. That’s
not good because you need to get your thumb or a card into the fold
for two of the four predictions (Figure 65). You have one of these
papers (predicting four other cards) on the other side of the wallet.
You’re all set.

Figure 63

Figure 64
184 The Himber Wallet Book

Figure 65

Force one of the eight vital cards. Use any of the ideas discussed in
Five Star Miracle. You can lay out 16 cards—the eight vital ones at
alternate positions; or lay out only the eight vital cards “for a really
free choice.” Up to you; what I want to explain here is the handling of
the predictions.
If the selected card is your prediction #1, simply open the wallet
from right to left with your left thumb, just as explained two paragraphs
ago. If your folded paper has a tendency to open too much, your right
thumbtip holds down the upper surface.
If the card is prediction #2, turn over the wallet (onto your left palm)
and open it with your right thumb—to show the rear surface, marked
#2 for demonstration purposes. Your left thumb holds down the up-
per surface. (That is, it doesn’t let the fold open.)
The action changes for #3 and #4. If the selected card is your pre-
diction #3, pick up the card. Show it, and holding it face up in your
right hand, slide it into the wallet’s right long side and into the fold of
the prediction, then open the wallet and the fold with your left thumb
as your right thumb keeps the card on the right side. The card will
show face up and it covers the #4 prediction! Display (Figure 66).
Harry Lorayne 185

Figure 66

Figure 67

If the selected card is your #4 prediction, show the card in your

right hand then, holding it face down, do as for #3 but then push the
upper panel of the wallet and the upper surface of the folded paper
up and to the left with your right forefinger (Figure 67, in progress).
186 The Himber Wallet Book

Your left thumb moves card and upper wallet panel (and upper paper
surface) the rest of the way to fully open position. The card turns to
the left with those sides, turning face up and covering the #3 predic-
tion (Figure 68).
Your #5, 6, 7 and 8 predictions are on the other side of the wallet.
You have to be perfectly clear in your mind as to just how to open the
wallet, how to hold and place the card (for the two center—inside the
fold—predictions). The less hesitation, the better it looks, of course.

)_

Now; I thought—“Is it possible to have even more prediction choices?”

The answer is yes. I can give you twelve, six on each side of the wallet.
And that’s as far as I want to go with it. Follow along as I tell you how to
prepare the paper on which you’ll write the names of six vital (say) cards.
Fold two squares of paper exactly as explained for the 4-choice
method. Then, glue the rear surface of one of them to the front sur-
face of the other. You’ll end up with the same kind of fold except that
there’s an extra flap at center! You have six surfaces. To facilitate the

Figure 68
Harry Lorayne 187

explanation hold the package like a book, and number the surfaces like
this: Top (front)—1; rear surface—2; inside top (left) surface—3; to
its right (left surface of center panel)—4; turn only the center panel
to the left, and on its “under” surface—5; inside rear surface—6. (Fig-
ure 69. You can’t see all the numbers, but you can see what the paper
looks like from one angle.) It’s all really quite simple.
So is the handling for each prediction. There are twelve vital cards.
If you alternate them (with a faro shuffle) there is a lot of leeway for
forcing one of them. You can leave the almost-half deck at center and
let your spectator cut “anywhere.” He must cut into the “group.” Work
according to the card you see at face of the cut-off portion. Use it, or
the card on top of the still-tabled portion. Or—keep the vital group
on top; spectator deals down a card at a time and stops when he likes
(see Five Star Miracle).
Then, and it’s just about the same as for the 4-choice method—for
predictions #1 and #2, do exactly as for #1 and #2 in the 4-choice
method. For prediction #3, again do as for #3 in the 4-choice method,
but be sure that the card goes into the upper of the two folds created
by the center panel. The card covers your prediction #4 as it is dis-
played alongside #3, just as in Figure 66.
For prediction #4, do as for #4 in the 4-choice method, going into
the upper compartment. It looks as in Figures 67 and 68. Now, for
prediction #5—do as for #3, but the face-up card goes into the lower

Figure 69
188 The Himber Wallet Book

compartment—under the center panel of your prediction paper. The

card covers the #6 prediction as it is displayed alongside #5. And for
#6, do as for #4, but the face-down card, again, goes into the lower
compartment of your prediction paper. When you display, the #5
prediction is covered by the card.

Afterthoughts: Whew! That was not easy for me to teach and explain. But,
that’s all there is to it. If it seems confusing to you it’s because you’re
not actually trying it. Make up the 6-sided prediction paper(s) and try
it. The main problem you’ll have is remembering where the twelve
predictions (six on each side of the wallet) are. Use some sort of system.
Perhaps one paper predicts all odd cards—aces, threes, sevens, etc.—
and the other paper predicts only even cards—twos, fours, sixes, etc.
There are, of course, other ways to actually handle paper and wal-
let. You may prefer, for example, to place the folded prediction paper
on the wallet’s left, half-pocket, side. The handling would then be just
a bit different. I’ve taught it as I do it.
Also, I’ve explained the idea using playing cards, but anything that
can be inserted to cover one prediction as you display the other—will
do. An excellent use for this would be to predict the serial number on
a $1 bill. Bills work just fine, and it takes the idea out of the “card trick”
category.
When using any procedure that necessitates the insertion of a card
or bill, you may find it easier to start to open the wallet slightly with
your thumb—you’ll see the opening of the folded paper—then slide
in card or bill, and continue. In other words, practice the insertion of
the card or bill so that it moves cleanly inside to cover the prediction
you want to cover, as you display the prediction you want to display.
Do that smoothly, logically, and you can go off in many different di-
rections with this idea. You might even want to go back over some of
the other prediction effects in the book and see if you can, or want to,
“enlarge” them accordingly.
 Luciforce
P hil Goldstein credits Alan Brown’s effect, Speak Of The Devil
(1968) as his inspiration for the following. It is, basically, a pre-
diction effect with an unusual, an unexpected, ending. You’ll need the
Himber Wallet, a blue-backed deck of cards, two matching (blue)
double-backed cards and two red-backed duplicate cards. For teach-
ing purposes, assume the red-backed duplicates are two KH’s.
Get rid of the blue deck’s KH; it’s not part of the routine and you
don’t want it to show up at an inopportune moment. With the mark-
ing pen that you’ll use during performance scribble a dummy signa-
ture across the back of one of the red-backed KH’s. Then, “set” as
follows:
The un-signed duplicate KH goes into one side of your Himber
Wallet, either loose or in the half pocket. That’s all you do with the
wallet. Except that the “signed” red-backed KH is placed face down
between the two blue double-backed cards, and this 3-card packet is
placed behind (outside) the wallet. Wallet and 3-card packet go into
your pocket or close-up case. During performance, you’ll want to bring
out the wallet with the three cards hidden behind it. The marking pen
is handy, the regular blue deck is in play, and you’re all set.
When ready to go into this effect, let a spectator shuffle the deck
thoroughly. As (s)he does, remove the wallet (the 3-card packet be-
hind it) from pocket or case. Hold it in your right hand as you take
back the deck with your left hand.
Say that you’ve made an “unusually explicit” prediction pertain-
ing to the card he (or she) will select in a moment. “And, as a matter of
fact, I’ll show you that prediction before you make that free selection.”
In order to open the wallet to show the red-backed KH, you “natu-
rally” place it onto the (left-hand) deck—secretly loading the 3-card

189
190 The Himber Wallet Book

packet to top of the deck (see The HW Book Test). Open the wallet,
remove the KH, display it, both sides, name it aloud, and so forth.
Explain that by showing it in advance this way, you are specifically
committed to it. Close the wallet and table it as you talk.
“And,” you continue, “to make absolutely sure that I can’t change
my mind, why don’t you mark it by signing your name across its back.”
Place the KH face down onto the deck, hand the pen to the spectator
and let him sign the card’s back. Instruct him, and maneuver it, so that
he signs in approximately the same area as your prepared, dummy
signature (see the similar idea in Signed, Torn, Restored).
Turn the signed, red-backed, KH face up, really doing a triple turn-
over. The “dummy” KH appears face up on top! Remove it—a blue
back shows on top of the deck, so all looks as it should—and insert the
dummy KH face up into the wallet. But, as you do, flash its back. The
onlookers glimpse a signed red back and assume that it’s the KH your
helper signed. (Done properly, this makes for a much stronger effect.)
Close the wallet.
Go into Henry Christ’s 203rd Force, like this: Table the deck in
front of your spectator. Instruct him to cut off a batch of cards—to
cut wherever he likes—and to turn that batch face up and replace it
onto the still-tabled face-down portion. Pick up the deck, as you say,
“Let’s see the card you’ve cut to.”
Openly hand to hand spread the face-up cards until you reach the
first face-down card. “Here it is.” Careful not to spread past that first
face-down card, because the next card is the signed red-backed card
(see Afterthoughts). Table the face-up cards. “I sure do hope you’ve cut
to the king of hearts, as I predicted you would.”
Apparently turn face up the top face-down card of the in-hand
portion, really doing a double turnover to reveal the KH! Quite magical
already! This, to your audience, is the blue-backed KH from the “in
play” blue-backed deck. It is, of course, the “legitimate” signed
red-backed KH. Table it face up.
Build it now—“My prediction was precise; more so than you real-
ize.” Open the Himber Wallet to its empty side—the signed red-
Harry Lorayne 191

backed KH is gone! Pause for effect as you pocket the wallet. Snap
your fingers over the tabled face-up (apparently blue-backed) KH,
then turn it over (or let your spectator do so) to show that the selec-
tion and the prediction are one and the same!

Afterthoughts: The two double backers are on top of the deck waiting
to be stolen away so that you can continue using the same deck. Think
about the routine and its effect. It’s strong, assuming proper presenta-
tion, handling, buildup.
If you don’t want to worry about spreading off one too many cards
(the first face-down card) during the 203rd Force, use another
double-backed blue card (three of them). You’d need to load four cards
onto the shuffled deck, and you’d have to do a triple turnover instead
of a double turnover after removing the spread of face-up cards. But,
you would be able to spread off the first face-down card to let two blue
backs be seen as you remove the face-up cards. If it’s important to you,
you’ll know how to set it all up. I don’t think it’s necessary—just don’t
spread off the first face-down card!
So, as was not too unusual for me in those early days—I was a bit
depressed. Himber asked what the problem was. I complained that
other acts, cheaper acts, were getting on The Ed Sullivan Show (the
hottest TV show of its time) but that I hadn’t been called for it.
Dick never hesitated with me—he whistled for a taxi. Before I
knew what or how it happened, we were backstage of the Broadway
Theater (now called The Ed Sullivan Theater) on 52nd Street and
Broadway, where The Sullivan Show was in rehearsal. The Ray
Block orchestra was rehearsing that week’s singer.
And, there was Ed Sullivan. Himber yelled to him. Mr. Sullivan
was busy but, as usual, the only way to get Himber out of your hair
was to get him out of your hair. You could not not pay attention to
him.
Dick introduced me, then started to tell Ed what I would do on the
show. I would do my names and faces thing. Now, Himber usually
managed to get most things just a bit off-synch. When I do the names
and faces thing, I have everyone in the audience (those I’ve met) stand
up. As I point to each person and call his or her name, the person sits
down—until everyone is seated.
When Dick backed Sullivan against the wall and excitedly, en-
thusiastically, explained what I would do, he said, “Harry will meet
everyone in your audience, Ed. Then, on the air, he’ll remember all
their names. As he calls each name, that person will stand until he
has the entire audience standing!”
It was then that Ed Sullivan displayed a sense of humor I didn’t
realize he had. There was a beat of silence, then he said, “I can have
Ray Block play The Star Spangled Banner and get the same result!”
That gave me my laugh for the day—but it didn’t get me on the
show—although Himber did try.
I eventually did get to do The Ed Sullivan Show. That’s another
story!
 Poker Thing
W hat you have to be careful of when using this kind of idea is
that it’s not too obvious that the wallet is “doing” the magic.
That may be easier written than done. Have to leave it to you. You’ll
also need specific double-faced cards which may be difficult to find.
If you can’t find them, make your own—either peeling cards or sim-
ply gluing them back to back, which is okay since no one but you will
feel them.
For example—the 4D, 6D, 7D and 8D are backed with queen,
queen, three, three. And, 10C, 10H, 10D and a 6-spot are backed with
JS, QS, KS, AS. Place the 4-card broken diamond straight on the right
panel (not in the pocket) of one side of the wallet so that when you
open the upper panel to the left with your left thumb the diamond
cards will show. Do the same thing with the 10-spots on the other
side—so that the three tens show on the right side when opened that
way.
That’s the double-face card and wallet set-up. Then, on top of the
deck, set the 5D, a queen (that doesn’t duplicate one of the double-face
queens), 10S. The 5D is the top card. You’re ready to perform the Poker
Thing.
Make up any story you like; perhaps—you were doing so badly in
a high-stake poker game that you had to resort to magic to make back
some of your losses. As you “set the scene,” the wallet is tabled and
you’re shuffling the deck. Keep the three set-up cards on top, of course.
Table the deck, pick up the wallet and open it to show the four
diamonds. Spread the four cards so that they’re seen clearly (Figure
70). Square and replace them as they were, and flip the wallet’s right
panel over onto the left panel, closing it. As you do so, say, “I have to
draw one card and get the five of diamonds to fill in my straight.”

193
194 The Himber Wallet Book

Figure 70

“Draw” the top card of the deck, show the 5D. “Hey, great; I did fill
in my straight!” Table the 5D face up, pick up and open the wallet by
opening the top panel to the right with your right thumb. The other
surfaces of the diamond cards show (lying on the open wallet’s left
panel).
Act surprised, and say, “Wait a minute—there’s been some mistake.
Now I have two pairs (spread to display), two queens and two threes.
This five of diamonds does me no good. Well, I’ll draw one card again
and try for a full house.”
Repeat the preceding actions but turn over the wallet as you table
it. “Draw” the top card—a queen. “There you go—a full house.” Table
the queen near the 5D, pick up and open the wallet to show the three
tens and the 6-spot (lying on the open wallet’s right panel).
“I don’t understand this, do you? Now the queen does me no good.
Okay; last shot. I need to draw the ten of spades to end up with four of
a kind.”
Repeat the actions, drawing the 10S, and say, “But I’ve done much
better than four of a kind. I didn’t want to take any chances, so—I drew
to a royal flush . . . in spades!” Open the wallet to show the four high
Harry Lorayne 195

spade cards. Drop the 10S onto (or slide it beneath) them, close the
wallet and pocket all—to end.

Afterthoughts: I’ve purposely not been too specific re: the handling of,
the openings and closings of, the wallet. That’s because I know that
everyone will handle it a bit differently. I just wanted to give you the
general idea.
A thought: If you’re satisfied with only two magical changes of poker
hands instead of three, you can place the “regular” (the deck’s) JS, QS,
KS and AS in the wallet’s other side. That way, when you “draw” the
10S, you can remove the four high spade cards and table them with
the 10S, as you pocket the empty-to-the-onlookers wallet. The cards
are left for examination—if any of your spectators are so inclined.
 Slitsville
I don’t know if anyone, aside from myself and a few close friends,
uses this excellent feature of the Himber Wallet. The “feature” I’m
referring to is that a card can be secretly inserted (loaded) into the
wallet’s hidden side as you display the visible side! And it’s so easy.
Open your Himber Wallet and hold it on the palm-up fingers of
both hands (Figure 71). Reach to the underneath center seam with your
left fingertips and you’ll find a slit there. And, you’ll see that those fin-
gertips can enter the slit. They’re actually entering the wallet’s other
side. (Figure 72 is a worm’s-eye view.)
That’s it, that’s the “secret feature” you ought to know about. Push
a card in where your left fingertips are going, and you secretly load
that card into the wallet’s other side (Figure 73). If the card enters face
down it shows face down when you open the other side one way, and
face up if you open it the other way.

Figure 71

196
Harry Lorayne 197

The concept can be used as a “standard” signed-card-to-wallet ef-

fect, of course, as you’ll see a couple of items from here. As a matter
of fact, I’ll touch on a few ideas, then I’ll leave it to you to come up
with your own ideas or effects.

Afterthoughts: Nothing more for me to tell you about this except that
that “entering” slit is always at the explained position—that is, it is
entered from the left when, as is most often the case, the wallet’s half
pocket is on the left panel. If you turn over the wallet, end for end, so

Figure 72

Figure 73
198 The Himber Wallet Book

that when you open it, the upside-down half pocket is on the right
panel then you can enter the slit from the right.
This is the shortest item in this book, and possibly one of the most
important ones.
 Wild Jokers
C redit for this effect goes to Sam Schwartz. Basic effect: A card is
freely selected, then signed, by a spectator. The card is shuffled
into, lost into, the deck. Then you open your wallet to show both sides
of a joker. You initial or sign its face. It remains in the closed wallet.
Magical gesture, then show that his card and your card have changed
places—the spectator’s signed card is in the wallet; your signed joker
is in the deck!
How? Pretty easy. Simple set-up—you need two matching jokers.
Sign or initial the face of one of them and keep it on top of the deck
that’s in play. Keep the other, unsigned, joker in your Himber Wallet.
The wallet is either on the table or in your left inside jacket pocket.
That’s all.
A card is selected and signed. Then it’s replaced and apparently lost
into the deck. Really control it to the top as, at the same time, your
signed joker is lost into the deck. That joker is kept on top only to make
sure that the spectator doesn’t select it as his card. Handle it however
you like.
Hold the face-down deck in left-hand dealing position. Pick up
the tabled wallet or take it out of your pocket with your right hand.
Rest it on the left-hand deck as your right thumb opens its upper
panel to the right to display the unsigned joker. But as the wallet is
moved onto the deck, and as it covers the deck for a split second,
your left thumb pushes the top (selected) card to the right—perhaps
an inch or so.
As the selected card is pushed to the right with your left thumb,
your left 2nd and 3rd fingertips move up to hold the card up against
the wallet’s underside. Move wallet and card a bit to the right so that
part of the deck remains visible in your left hand.

199
200 The Himber Wallet Book

Hold all with your left hand. The deck is in view, your left thumb
holds the wallet down on the deck and the displayed joker is face up
on the open wallet’s left panel (Figure 74). You’re in position to ma-
neuver the selected card into the wallet via the center slit. Slide it in
only part way as you talk about the joker being your selection, that
you’ll sign it, and so forth (just as in Figure 73).
When the card is part way into the slit, you can take the open wallet
at its right edge with your right thumbtip and fingertips; the card will
stay in place and remain hidden (Figure 75). Table it. Then your right
hand reaches for the marking pen. Openly sign or initial the joker in the
same area as you did the other joker (Figure 76; worm’s-eye view).

Figure 74

Figure 75
Harry Lorayne 201

Pick up the wallet at a long side and as you display the signed joker,
finish sliding the selected card into the wallet’s hidden side. Your right
fingers can help, and make sure that the card goes in straight and com-
pletely so that it doesn’t protrude incorrectly at the end.
Flip the signed joker face down on the left panel and close the wallet
by flipping the right panel over to the left onto the joker. If you want to
display the spectator’s selection face down at the end immediately flip
the entire (closed) wallet over to the left. If you want to show that card
face up, don’t do this second immediate flipover (see my Afterthoughts).
Hand the deck to your spectator, or have him (or her) pick it up if
you’ve tabled it. Tell him to shuffle thoroughly. Then, he’s to hold the
deck tightly (see Afterthoughts). The work is done, only buildup remains.
Say that you’ll try to cause the two selected cards to change places,
magically. Recapitulate which is (supposedly) where, then—do your
magical gesture. Open the Himber Wallet so that the spectator’s signed
card is face down. (Right thumb opens upper panel to the right.) He
turns it over—to see his signed card. Let him table the card as you
pocket the wallet. He then spreads through the face-up deck to find
your signed joker!

Afterthoughts: You may prefer to let the spectator remove the face-down
card from the wallet and table it face down; that is, don’t let anyone

Figure 76
202 The Himber Wallet Book

see its face yet. Pocket the wallet, get it out of play. He spreads through
the deck to find your signed joker. Then he turns up the card he him-
self took out of the wallet to see his own signed card. Up to you; you
have to decide which ending plays better for you.
And, as I’ve mentioned before, and/or will mention later, I wanted
to give you the general idea of the handling of the wallet; the specific
handling is up to you. You also should have something in the wallet’s
right-side long pocket that looks the same no matter which side of the
wallet is opened. That always strengthens the overall effect.
With that in mind, here’s another thought: You can keep a thin
rubber band and a wide rubber band protruding from the half pocket
on the same side as the unsigned joker. Keep only a duplicate thin
rubber band protruding from about the same area of the other half
pocket. Before you close the wallet on the (now signed) joker indicate
the two rubber bands, and say that you think the wide band will be
better.
The point here is for your audience to see the bands. Remove the
wide one, make sure the remaining thin one “registers.” Hand the wide
one to the spectator and ask him to wrap the deck so that you can’t
“possibly get near his card!” Later, when you open the wallet to its
other side, the thin band is still there(?)! It’s a good convincer (with-
out saying anything about it).
It is, of course, also possible to palm off a selected card and then
manipulate, maneuver, it into the wallet via that rear slit. But why
bother when it’s easy to do it without palming as explained here?
 Basic Signed Card to Wallet
I t’s usually easier to complicate things than it is to simplify them.
What I mean is—let’s not overlook the basic (or standard)
signed-card-to-wallet effect. This should be obvious to you, now that
you’re aware of that slit at rear of your Himber Wallet. And there’s
no palming involved.
Let your spectator shuffle the deck. Have him do one final cut. Take
the deck, do a double turnover as you say that this is the card he cut
to. The double remains face up on top of the deck.
I don’t usually do signed-card effects. I’m a “depression kid,” and I
guess that makes it hard for me to ruin decks of cards! But this par-
ticular effect doesn’t really mean much unless the selected card is
signed, or—if you use a borrowed deck.
Anyway, have your spectator sign his (or her) selection across, or
along, its face as the double rests on the deck. With appropriate pat-
ter to the effect that his card is now unique because it’s signed, and
so forth, turn down the double and deal the top single card face down
onto the table. Place something on it—the cardcase, an ashtray, a
saltshaker, whatever. This serves a double purpose; it “pinpoints” the
card, and eliminates the possibility of someone turning it over pre-
maturely.
Bring out your Himber Wallet. Open it to show it empty, resting it
on top of the deck. Yes, of course you can have something in the long
pocket that will show on either side of the wallet. It’s important to show
the wallet to be empty while the selected, signed, card is—so far as
your spectators are concerned—on the table in full view.
Of course, as you show the open wallet, you’re secretly pushing the
signed card into that slit at rear—into the wallet, as previously ex-
plained (see Afterthoughts). Close the wallet and table it in full view.

203
204 The Himber Wallet Book

Pick up the selected(?) card and openly insert it to center deck. Hand
the deck to your spectator for shuffling. Take back the deck. From
here, it’s all buildup. You can place the deck onto the wallet and have
your spectator press down on it. Or, simply riffle the ends of the deck
toward the tabled wallet, and so on. Up to you.
Open the wallet to show the signed selection inside!

Afterthoughts: I usually use my Ultra Move rather than the double turn-
over for this. Then, I really turn over the top single card, after the
spectator’s shuffle and cut, and let him sign it. I turn it down, then show
it once more doing The Ultra Move. From here, all is as taught in the
text.
If you’d rather not have the deck in hand as you secretly insert the
selected card, that’s easily arranged. When you first take out the wal-
let, rest it on the deck only long enough to flip it open and closed—
and as you push off the top card to under it. Your right fingers hold it
in place. Drop the wallet and hidden card onto your working surface.
It’s best to use a close-up pad for easier pick up later.
Lose the selected(?) tabled card into the deck as explained. While
the spectator still holds the deck, or while the deck is tabled, pick up
the wallet and the hidden card. Open the wallet and start the secret
insertion. “Remember, nothing in here (except some bills, or my busi-
ness cards, or whatever).” Complete the secret insertion, close the
wallet, and drop it onto the table.
Buildup and end as taught.
 Entre Nous
I thought about the following for a bit—“How could I show two mates
in the Himber Wallet then have a card freely selected, make it dis-
appear from the deck and appear reversed between the ‘walleted’ mates?”
A bit of experimenting ensued. Here’s the result; it is, of course, based
on the secret insertion of the selected card into the wallet’s rear slit.
The main problem was—how to make sure that the inserted card
would go between the mates. Well, here’s how:
It would be just a bit simpler to have the selected card appear face
up between the face-down mates. I believe it looks better, however,
to have it appear face down between the face-up mates (see After-
thoughts). Select two mates, perhaps the red queens. You’ll need match-
ing (design, texture, etc.) duplicates.

The Preparation: Slide one face-up red queen into the wallet’s right-side
long pocket. For this, you don’t want the other side of this queen to show
when the wallet is opened to its other side. The wallet I’m using as I
write allows that to happen if only a slice—a quarter inch, or a bit less—
of the card protrudes. If I let it protrude to the center (Figure 77), it will
not show on the other side. You’ll have to experiment with your wallet.
Place the other face-up red queen outside the pocket, directly over
the first queen, its left long side lined up with the left edge of the wallet’s
long pocket. (Figure 78; I’ve moved that outside queen down a bit only
so that you can see the situation.) Close the wallet by flipping the left
panel over onto the right panel—onto the queens. That’s the prepa-
ration.

To Perform: Say that the red queens are your “helpers,” and remove
them from the deck. (If you’d rather, you can force the red queens on

205
206 The Himber Wallet Book

Figure 77

Figure 78

yourself, or on a spectator. Use whatever rationalization you like for

using the red queens.)
Bring out the Himber Wallet and open it (top panel to the right) to
its empty side. Drop the face-up duplicate queens onto the wallet’s
left panel. Close the wallet by flipping its right panel over onto its left
panel—onto the duplicate queens.
The most direct way to handle the selection is to let the spectator
shuffle. Then have him remember the bottom card. Apparently table
that card face down doing a glide. Any handling that leads the onlook-
ers to believe that the selection is on the table when it’s actually on
Harry Lorayne 207

Figure 79

bottom of the deck, is fine. (I don’t particularly care for the glide. So I
do as taught in the preceding, then shuffle or cut the selection to bot-
tom.) I don’t think signing the card is necessary here; you’ll show that
the card is not in the deck before the finale. Of course, you can have it
signed, if you like.
Hold the face-up deck in left-hand dealing position, but with the
hand palm down so that the bottom card isn’t seen. Say, “Do you re-
member my ‘helper’ cards?” As you speak, pick up the wallet with your
right hand and move it onto the left-hand deck as your left hand turns
palm up. Time it so that the bottom (selected) card doesn’t flash. As
the wallet is placed, open it by turning the top panel to the right with
your right thumb, exposing the duplicate queens.
As you talk about the visible queens, insert the deck’s face card—
the selection—into the rear slit, as taught. But—as you start to do so
with your left fingers, push up with those fingertips in order to “belly
down” the underside-right panel, which is where the “set” queens are.
As a matter of fact, you can assure success if your right fingers contact
the left side of that panel and gently pull it down. (Figure 79; this is a
view from underneath in an attempt to show you what I’m talking
about.)
Of course, you’ll see what I’m talking about when you try this—when
you see what’s to be accomplished. Well, what’s to be accomplished is
to slide that card into the slit and above the “loose” queen. When that
208 The Himber Wallet Book

underside-right panel is pulled down a bit, the loose queen moves down
with it, and the selected card moves in above it. Close the wallet by flip-
ping the right panel back onto the left panel, just as before.
Lose the tabled selected(?) card into the deck. Do your magical
gesture, as in the preceding effect. This time, be sure to do a wide
face-up table ribbon spread to show that the selected card isn’t there.
And, open the wallet to expose your set face-up queens with a
face-down card between them. Actually, the lower queen is in the long
pocket, but that can’t be seen! (It looks something like Figure 80.) Let
this register for a beat or two.
“What’s your card again?”—as if you’ve forgotten it. As it’s being
named, your left fingers and thumb grasp all three cards at their left
long sides and pull them to the left. It looks just as it should. (Figure
81; again, I’ve purposely exposed the fact that the lower queen is be-
ing pulled out of the long pocket. In action, the other two cards cover
that nicely.)
Flip the wallet closed and pocket it. Then, turn over the 3-card “sand-
wich” to reveal the selected card.

Figure 80
Harry Lorayne 209

Afterthoughts: As usual, I’ve explained the openings and closings of the

wallet for completion’s sake. You handle it as you like. Careful of one
thing—don’t tilt the wallet’s inner end downward as you insert the
selected card. If you do, the loose “set” queen may slide down and out
of that inner end, or expose part of itself. Just hold the wallet parallel
to the floor as you “work.”
If you don’t care which way the selected card and the mates face,
you don’t have to hold the deck face up as you insert the selection.
Set the mates exactly as taught, but face down. Then, during perfor-
mance, secretly insert the selected card face down from top of deck—
it will appear face up between the face-down mates when you open
the wallet to that side. I just think it’s a bit stronger to have that slight
delay; to have the card named first, then reveal it.
You can sandwich a selected card to center of the four aces—set by
placing two aces in the pocket and two outside, as taught. Or, you can
slide the QS face down to center of the other royal-flush spades. Set
the 10S and JS in the long pocket; the KS and AS outside.
You’ve “got” the method now—up to you to work out a routine or
effect utilizing these ideas.

Figure 81
 Flip To Clip
I discovered this by accident a few years after I wrote THE HUN-
DRED DOLLAR BOOK, and I’ve kept it to myself ever since. I
never did it when magicians were present because once seen by some-
one who knows the workings of the Himber Wallet, just a bit of ex-
perimenting and it’d be “figured.” Anyway, where better but here to
finally divulge it.
You’ll need the wallet and four paper clips. Open your Himber
Wallet and attach two clips to the edge of the right-side long pocket.
Clip them about an inch and three-quarters to two inches apart and
with the smaller loops on the outside. It works about as well with the
larger loops on the outside, but I’m teaching it as I always do it (Fig-
ure 82).
Close, then open, the wallet to the other side. The clips shouldn’t
show at all. If they do, adjust them so that they don’t.

Figure 82

210
Harry Lorayne 211

Now, there are two ways to handle the “simple” version. (I’ll men-
tion a more complicated version anon.) The simpler handling of the
“simple” version is: Have a card freely selected and signed. Place the
deck aside. Open the wallet to its empty side and openly insert the
selected card, either face up or face down, into the long pocket. As
you do, press its right long side down onto the back of the pocket (Fig-
ure 83), you’ll feel that long side entering the hidden paper clips! Push
the card in until only a slice (quarter inch) of it is still visible. If too
much of the card is left visible it may not show on the other side—
according to your wallet. Experiment. Close the wallet, and table it,
keeping in mind which way you’ll have to open it later in order to
show the other, “set,” side (see Afterthoughts).
Display the other two, loose, paper clips. Make them disappear
however you like. If seated, you can pretend place them from right to
left hand and lap them. If standing, pretend place then leave them in
a pocket as you go into that pocket for your pencil/wand, or what-
ever. (I used to sleeve them when I was performing this often.)
That’s it, trick over—I told you it was “simple.” Magical gesture,
and open the wallet to the “set” side. What’s seen is—the clips on card

Figure 83
212 The Himber Wallet Book

and pocket (Figure 84). Pause only long enough for the “overall” pic-
ture to register—the fact that the clips are there at all, and on the card.
There is a discrepancy here, of course. If you inserted the card face
down it’s now face up, and vice versa. No one has ever noticed (or
remembered) that.
Then, remove the card by grasping its left long side, between the
clips, and pulling it out to the left. The clips remain properly on the
card! (Figure 85, in progress, stop action.) Toss the clipped card, face
up, onto the table, as you pocket the wallet (see Afterthoughts). The
clipped, signed, card is left for examination.

)_

Second handling: You do not openly place the selected card into the
wallet. In effect, the signed card disappears from the deck, the two paper
clips disappear from your hand. The clipped card magically appears in
the previously-shown-empty wallet!
It should be obvious to you now. Of course—you’ll secretly load
the controlled-to-top signed selection into the wallet and into the clips

Figure 84
Harry Lorayne 213

via the wallet’s rear slit! (If you haven’t read the four preceding items,
I suggest you do so now.)
Set the two paper clips exactly as already explained. Then, go back
a couple of items to Basic Signed Card To Wallet, which is really all
you’re going to do here. Two differences: You don’t want bills or any-
thing else (besides the clips) in the long pocket. And, when you se-
cretly insert the selection into that rear slit, push the card up against
the wallet’s (right panel’s) underside—to make sure it “enters” the clips.
You’ll see what I mean when you try it (again, see my Afterthoughts).
Also, be sure to push it in until its left long side passes the wallet’s cen-
ter (the slit’s opening). Using the very tips of your fingers to push against
the very edge of the card’s left long side may help.
Your work is done. Close the wallet and drop it onto the table. Dis-
play two paper clips, then make them disappear. Say that you want to
do the same with the signed selection. Magical gesture, and do a wide
face-down table ribbon spread. The signed selection is gone. Open the
wallet to the “set” side.
This looks even better than it does in the first handling. The face-up
selected card is on the long pocket, not in it, and it’s clipped. The under-

Figure 85
214 The Himber Wallet Book

side loops of the clips also clip the long pocket, but that’s not seen
(Figure 86).
Let this register for a beat or two, then remove the clipped card by
grasping it at center of its left long side, between the two clips, as in
the first handling. Toss the clipped card onto the table, and so forth,
to end.

)_

If you want to complicate this a bit, take it to an extreme: Set the two
clips as explained. Then slide an empty pay envelope (one that’s wider
than a playing card) under them. Make sure the closed, not sealed,
flap is under the upper clip (Figure 87). Close the wallet.
Now, you can do either of the two already-explained handlings. In
either case, when you open to the “set” side, it will look exactly as in
the above illustration—but the signed selected card is hidden and
clipped under the pay envelope!

Figure 86
Harry Lorayne 215

Pull out the envelope and the hidden card with your left thumb and
fingers, as taught. Transfer all to your right hand and pocket the wallet
with your left hand. Then, remove and drop the two paper clips with
your left hand. Turn the envelope so that its mouth is to the left. Open
the flap with your left hand as your right thumb and fingers make sure
that the card remains hidden under the envelope.
Reach into the envelope with left thumb and forefinger as your 2nd
finger moves under all to rest on the hidden card. In a brisk move-
ment, pull the card out(?) of the envelope. (Figure 88 is a stop-action
view.) As soon as you can, move your forefinger to under the card,
and all looks exactly as it should.
Drop card and envelope onto the table with the paper clips. All is
examinable.

Figure 87

Figure 88
216 The Himber Wallet Book

Afterthoughts: I love it! I think all is explained (probably over-explained)

in the text. Be aware of this—some of the cheaper wallets have a
too-heavy (sewn) seam under the top surface panel of the long pocket.
This may get in your way as you secretly insert the card. You’ll have
to work it out so that you can compensate for that. This is not a prob-
lem with the better wallets, because there’s no seam there.
You can, if you like, use the pencil or pen idea as part of the first
handling. Have the card signed after you’ve partially pushed it into
the long pocket. Then push it the rest of the way in. Close the wallet,
open it “a crack” to check (to the other side, of course), drop in the
pencil, table the wallet.
As mentioned in the text—as soon as you remove the card/clips/
envelope from the wallet, pocket the wallet. I know I’ve mentioned this
a few times; it warrants repetition. Try to make it appear as if the wallet
has nothing to do with the magic. Handle it casually; try, if possible, to
avoid looking at it when you open and/or close it. Nitty-gritty, try
not to make it look like a magic prop.
 Clips Trip
H ave you tried Flip To Clip? If you have, you’ll want to try this.
Attach two paper clips onto the right panel’s long pocket, as de-
scribed in Flip To Clip. Then put a duplicate card (assume it’s the
QC) face down into the left panel’s half pocket. That’s the prepara-
tion.
When ready to perform, place the closed wallet onto the table.
Display the (duplicate) QC. You can simply have it on top of the deck,
or “force” it on yourself. That is, shuffle and apparently take any card
(see Figure 40 in Do As I Do).
Clip two paper clips onto the left long side of the card so that they
look, are spaced, as in the preceding (Figure 89). Open the tabled wallet
by flipping its upper panel to the right. Place the clipped QC into the
left panel’s half pocket. Do this openly, making a bit of an issue over
it—“Remember; the clipped queen of clubs is here in this pocket.”
Leave that face-down QC in view in the open wallet as you ribbon
spread the deck to give your spectator a free choice of a card. Have
him sign his selection, across the face or back—or both. (What the heck,
if you’re going to ruin the card, ruin the card!)

Figure 89

217
218 The Himber Wallet Book

Take his (or her) signed card with your left hand and slide it face
down into the wallet’s right-panel long pocket. Do it as explained in
the preceding, making sure that it slides into the hidden paper clips.
Again, “stress” the situation. “Your unclipped (say) ten of hearts goes
into this pocket.”
Close the wallet and table it. At this point, the wallet should be
turned to its other side. If you have your own way of doing that, fine.
If not, I strongly suggest that you check out the “turnover” method at
the very end of Money Talks, and the one suggested in DoublESP.
Recapitulate—stress which card is where, and which is (supposed
to be) clipped, and so on. Make sure your spectator is sure of those
positions. I’ll leave this to you, because it is an individual thing.
Then magical gesture, and—open the wallet to its “set” side. The
card in the left-panel half pocket is clip-free! The signed selected card
is clipped in the right-panel long pocket. The clips have, apparently,
traveled—“taken a trip”—by magic. Remove the un-clipped card,
turning it face up—the QC. Pull out the clipped selected card, as ex-
plained in the preceding. Casually pocket the wallet, as your atten-
tion is on the two cards. Leave them on the table for examination.

Afterthoughts: You might want to patter about your “magic clips” as you
go into the effect. The cards apparently stay where they are—it’s the
clips that magically “travel.”
The small amount of time misdirection is enough to “cover” not
only the wallet’s turnover, but the discrepancy of the signed selection
showing face up at the end when it was inserted face down. Trust me—
no one will remember that!
Incidentally, you can use the paper clip idea (this and the preced-
ing) with business cards, if you want to take it out of the “card trick”
category. Slight adjustments are necessary. The clips need to be spaced
closer together, and the card has to be pushed into the long pocket all
the way, until it’s out of sight, in order to enter the paper clips (smaller
clips probably “work” better with business cards). The problem with
that is—when you open to the wallet’s other side, the card protrudes.
Harry Lorayne 219

To cover that discrepancy, openly push in the business card until less
than half an inch of its left long side is visible. Then tilt the wallet up
toward you in the act of closing it, as you push the card all the way in.
That way, the fact that it’s all the way in isn’t obvious, isn’t seen.
Finally—you can avoid the just-mentioned discrepancy, like this:
Attach one small paper clip to center of the long (shared) pocket, as
explained. Now, open to the wallet’s other side and, also as explained,
slide in a signed or initialed business card, but slide it in horizontally, a
short end first—at center of the pocket, of course—into the clip.
One problem here. Your business card is probably just a bit too long.
I had to trim a bit less than an eighth of an inch off each end in order
for my business card to fit. Then, it works perfectly. When the wallet
is opened to the other side, there’s the clip (that you caused to disap-
pear before) on the end of your card. Give the clipped card to your
spectator as a souvenir.
If you don’t mind trimming some of your business cards, this “ain’t
bad”! (As a matter of fact, trim the ends of a playing card, and you can
do the same thing with that!)
 Sum Prediction
And Book Test
A s I’ve said, I don’t intend to make this an encyclopedia. I thought
that I could omit obvious ideas. But it’s difficult to decide if and
when something is obvious to everyone. This is absolutely standard, and
obvious, but I decided that I’d better include it anyway.
It’s, basically, the old idea of using a small pad of paper that looks
the same on both sides. It is secretly turned over during performance.
The main difference here is that two different pads are used and that
the one at the end can be left on the table. The Himber Wallet simply
switches pads for you.
Here’s what you’ll need besides your Himber Wallet: Two pads of
paper, each with a thin cardboard backing. Each has only five or six
blank pages—to avoid excess thickness. Size is optional; approximately
three inches wide and five or six inches long is about right. It’s also
according to the size of your Himber Wallet. And, you need one blank
sheet of paper oh, say, about 3½ by 2½ inches. This will be your “pre-
diction” paper.
Now, one pad goes into the half pocket on one side of the wallet.
Slide the cardboard backing down into the pocket, the blank pages are
outside the pocket. The duplicate pad is placed the same way on the
wallet’s other side. On the top page of one pad write four 3-digit num-
bers, one under the other. Make it look as if four different people wrote
the 3-digit numbers, and draw a ready-for-adding line under the fourth
one. Add the numbers and remember the total. Don’t write it anywhere
yet.

220
Harry Lorayne 221

Fold the blank “prediction” paper in half once and slide it into the
long pocket on either side of the wallet. Leave a half inch or less pro-
truding so that that “sliver” shows no matter which way the wallet is
opened. And, get a general idea of where a spectator’s initials can go
so that those initials do not flash when the wallet is opened to that side.

Performance: Open the wallet to show the blank pad; a piece of your
prediction paper protrudes from the long pocket. Remove that paper
and say that you want to make a prediction. Unfold the paper and write
the total you’ve memorized. Don’t let anyone see it. Fold the paper,
prediction inside, and have a spectator initial one side—in that area
that won’t show, etc. Slide the folded paper into the long pocket, again
leaving about a half inch or less protruding. (You can close the wallet
here if you want the closing/opening action to become familiar to your
spectators. But, you don’t have to.)
Go to four different people asking each to write a 3-digit number—
one under the other, of course. After the fourth person has done so,
take the pencil or pen and draw the line under his 3-digit number. The
fourth person should be a bit of a distance away from the first specta-
tor—the one who initialed your prediction paper (see Afterthoughts).
Close the wallet. You have a choice here. You can simply turn over
the wallet so that it’s easy to open to its other side, as you approach
the first spectator. Or, you can partially open to the other side and
drop in the pencil so that the first spectator himself will have to open
to that side.
You’ve chosen a spectator who said he could add numbers, of
course—perhaps an accountant or financial advisor! Open the wallet
to the other side, the pre-arranged addition problem shows. So does
part of your prediction paper (Figure 90).
Ask him to remove your prediction, check his initials, and leave the
folded paper on the table in full view. Then ask him to add the four
3-digit numbers. He announces the total. Do a bit of buildup as you
remove the pad; table it—numbers, total, upward—and casually
pocket the wallet.
222 The Himber Wallet Book

Figure 90

Let someone unfold your prediction and read it out loud. It is cor-
rect, of course.

)_

That’s basic. Rather than simply predicting a total, you can predict a
word in a book, or a name and telephone number in the telephone
book. Work it out beforehand; it’s easy enough. For a book, you can
use a 4-digit answer. The first two digits would represent the page
number, and the last two digits would represent the word; 2614—page
26, 14th word. For a telephone book, that same number could be page
26, 14th line down, or page 261, 4th line down. And, of course, you
can work it out using a 3-digit answer, if you so desire.

Afterthoughts: If you like, you can have a calculator handy so that your
spectator can check his answer. And, you can use only three 3-digit
numbers instead of four, or three 4-digit numbers. These are the kinds
of details that I have to leave to you.
Harry Lorayne 223

One other “detail”: You may prefer not to draw the ready-for-adding
line under the numbers on the hidden pad. Then, during performance,
after the fourth spectator has written his (or her) 3-digit number, have
him close the wallet. Take it from him, and ask if he drew the line
under his number. When he says that he hasn’t, open the wallet to your
prepared pad and draw the line! That’s all. You can leave the pencil there,
in the wallet, so that the first spectator must open it properly, and so
forth.
 Last Word
T his was not an easy book for me to write. The idea of combining,
enlarging, sophisticating, THE BEST OF BILL-FOOLED and
THE HUNDRED DOLLAR BOOK started to germinate about ten
years ago! I’d write a bit, put it away—because I became too busy with
other things—write a bit, put it away, and so forth. So, it’s been ten
years “in the making.”
Most of my other books, once the idea started brewing, were writ-
ten in a matter of a couple of months.
I’m pleased that I finally got it done—I felt that it had to be done. I’m
also pleased with the finished product. Obviously, I hope you are, too.
Sure, there’s quite a bit of sameness—the prediction/mindreading
ideas—within some of the effects. Of course, I’m aware of that. As I
mentioned a few times, that’s the “nature of the beast” of the Himber
Wallet. But I felt that it was important to give you those choices.
It is interesting, however, that some of the better, or most magical,
routines are not prediction or mindreading effects (Polaroid Money,
Instant Money, Cut And Restored Ribbon, and more). Even then, you
have choices to make—you wouldn’t perform Polaroid Money and
Instant Money at the same “sitting.” Nor would you (probably) do
more than one Himber Wallet effect during the same performance.
Again, choices—up to you.
I believe I’ve touched on just about all areas pertaining to those uses
of the Himber Wallet. It can be used to switch items, produce an item,
make something disappear and, as mentioned, predict a future occur-
rence, or do a bit of mindreading. Those are the five basics—switch,
produce, disappear, predict, mindreading.
Switch: Open the wallet to show a check made payable to you for,
say, $20. Close the wallet, talk about going to the bank, or what-have-

225
226 The Himber Wallet Book

you, then open the wallet to show a $20 bill, or two $10 bills, in place
of the check.
Produce: You want to give someone one of your business cards.
Open the wallet and pretend to be annoyed that you’ve run out. Close
the wallet, talk about “magic printing,” perhaps, then open it to show
some of your business cards. Give the person one of them. Of course,
you can also open to show blank cards, then do the “magic printing.”
(That’d fall into the “switch” category.)
Predict: If you use my ideas for six, eight, or more prediction choices,
you can predict the winner of a horse race. Just have the prediction
paper ready, then print the names of six favorites, or all eight (or
whatever) horses. Simply open the wallet to show the correct name
after the race. The problem with this is that your friends will want to
know why your pockets aren’t stuffed with money at the end of the
day! Have an answer ready—perhaps, “I’d never use my psychic pow-
ers for personal monetary gain.” (!)
Disappear: Check back to Any Bill Vanish, for one example.
Mindreading: See Think Of Any Number, for one example.
Predict: Predict the denomination and date of one of eight coins.
You need four coins of different denominations and dates. Set your
Himber Wallet to predict any one of them (YOU WILL SELECT
THE DIME DATED 1972). Table the four vital coins in a left-to-right
row with four non-vital coins of mixed dates and denominations. The
four vital coins are in every other position. Use the ideas in Five Star
Miracle to force one of the four.
Switch/Predict: Open the wallet to show a photograph of yourself
(or anyone) holding a blank card. Let it be examined. Place it back
into the wallet. Force, say, the 8C. You might want to use the force
(for one card) taught in The HW Book Test for three cards. Open the
wallet—you’re now holding the 8C in the photograph, instead of a
blank card!
Predict: If you use my idea for twelve prediction choices, you can
predict a spectator’s favorite hour (of twelve), or his or her favorite
Harry Lorayne 227

(or birth) month, or any of the twelve picture cards in a deck of cards,
or a sign of the Zodiac.
I just wanted to touch on a few seemingly obvious ideas. I could go
on and on, as could you, but I think the point is made.
I also think that the only way you’ll make proper, intelligent, choices
is by trying every effect, routine, idea in this book. How else? Yes, I
realize that that would take some time, but nowhere near the time it
took me to put the book together—that is, to check out each item, to
write and to explain it all.
For me in the preparing, editing, teaching, writing—and for you in
the reading, learning, trying, performing . . .
Nothing worthwhile comes too easily!

HARRY LORAYNE