Set-up

317 entries in Cards / Effect Themes / Spelling / Miscellaneous / Set-up
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Creators Title Comments & References Year Source Page AA Categories
Allan Slaight Kings Go Fourth chosen King spelled to, then other Kings found as well
Also published here
  • Precursor, Dec. 1984
 2008
Spins & Needles
91
Allan Slaight The Spell of P.H.L. location using a Lyons spelling principle in Si Stebbins
Also published here
  • Precursor XXI, Oct. 1988
 2008
Spins & Needles
108
Allan Slaight Sly Stebbins spelling color, number, mate always corresponding to the selection
Also published here 2008
Spins & Needles
125
Allan Slaight Jacks Are Better finding the four Jacks by spelling, story
Inspired byAlso published here 2008
Spins & Needles
132
Allan Slaight Big Tutudu variation with more freedom
Inspired by
  • "Tutudu" (Stewart James, The James File, 2000)
Also published here
  • The James File, 2000
 2008
Spins & Needles
152
Allan Slaight The Deck Will Tell spelling words color, suits and value and always finding matching cards to selection
Also published here 2008
Spins & Needles
166
Paul Gordon Thought Stealer Rethought two phases, progressive set up, faro
Inspired byAlso published here
  • Cardistry, 2007
 2008
Mind Blasters
169
Ken Krenzel Spell of the Spectator no-touch, memorized deck, spectator spells down and finds named card
 		2009
Relaxed Impossibilities
195
Jon Allen Against All Odds spelling to find a card, matches prediction, all other cards are the same
Inspired by
  • "Esprit" (Jean-Pierre Vallarino, marketed 2002)
Also published here 		2009
Experience: The Magic of Jon Allen
110
Paul Martin Recycling Si spelling principle in Si Stebbins
 		2010
Semi-Automatic Card Tricks — Volume 8
169
Karl Fulves Jinx Extra spelling to find four-of-a-kind
Inspired by
  • "Quickie Set Up Effect" (Theodore Annemann)
 2010
Prolix (Issue 7)
452
Michael Weber Under My Spell small packet
Inspired by
  • "Fruitrick" (Phil Goldstein, marketed)
Also published here 		2010
The TAOM Intelligencer
6
Michael Weber Tip of the Trunk packet of cards, two selections made and spelt, then divined, part of Spelephant routine
Inspired by 2010
Card Magic USA
258
Andy Nyman Dead of Night three cards in different positions remembered, they are spelled out with increasingly more stringent conditions
Also published here 2010
Bulletproof
93
Michael Weber Under My Spell small packet
Inspired by
  • "Fruitrick" (Phil Goldstein)
Also published here 		2011
Knew & Improved
6
Michael Weber Under My Spell small packet
Also published here 2011
Denverismilitude
6
Nick Trost Love Has Great Power Queens and Kings are matched with addition of two Jacks and spelling in the packet
Inspired by
  • "The Power of Love" (Peter Marucci, The Linking Ring, Aug. 2001)
 2011
Subtle Card Creations — Volume 3
621
Peter Duffie Revelations eight-card packet reveals two selections, one by spelling, the other by the suit of all cards in the packet
 		2011
Four Cast
3
Michael Skinner The Hay-Dai Stack mental speller, leads to Vernon Poker Demonstration
Inspired by
  • Henry Hay's "The Mental Selection Speller" in "The Amateur Magician's Handbook", p. 120.
Related to 		2012
The F.F.F.F. Book
243
Allan Slaight Jacks are Better finding the four Jacks by spelling, story
Inspired byAlso published here 2012
The F.F.F.F. Book
247
William Larsen, T. Page Wright A Novelty Spelling Mystery selection lost, "Ace" spelled into one pile, "Spades" into another, then Ace of Spades shown, first pile are other three Aces and second pile all Spades
Also published here Nov./Dec. 2012
Genii (Vol. 75 No. 11 & 12)
35
Peter Duffie Task Force Finders a face-up and face-down card are selected, face-up card is spelled into three packets, when turned over they are a three-of-a-kind matching the face-down selection
 		2012
The Card Activist
30
Tom Crosbie Spelling Tricks
  • Single Card Spelling Tricks
 		2013
Just Be Croz
165
Chris Rawlins Crial Fawlts spelling to chosen card
 		2013
Just Be Croz
183
Alexander de Cova, Devin Knight Auto-Spell Deck in deutscher Sprache spectator cuts anywhere, remembers top card and puts it in center, performer cuts once and selection can be spelled out
Inspired by
  • "Auto-Spell Deck" (Devin Knight, e-book)
Also published here 		Jan. 2014
New Avantgarde Magic (Issue 14)
4
Max Maven Composite Speller Deck is cut and half given to each of two spectators. Each thinks of a card in their half. The value of one card is combined with the suit of the other. The deck is reassembled and the composite card spelled. It turns up at the final letter.
Related to 2015
Semi-Automatic Card Tricks — Volume 10
155
Steve Beam Fabrication The magician uses the spectator's name and some cards determined by her name to arrive at a card the magician earlier (and openly) predicted.
Related to 2015
Semi-Automatic Card Tricks — Volume 9
78
Steve Beam Pat Hand The magician uses the spectator's name and some cards determined by his name to arrive at a royal flush.
Related to 2015
Semi-Automatic Card Tricks — Volume 9
81
Steve Beam Dropping the Bluff Random cards are spelled, arriving at the selected card.
 		2015
Semi-Automatic Card Tricks — Volume 9
170
Alexander de Cova, Devin Knight Auto Spell Deck spectator cuts anywhere, remembers top card and puts it in center, performer cuts once and selection can be spelled out
Inspired by
  • "Auto-Spell Deck" (Devin Knight, e-book)
Also published here 		2015
Burners — Vol. 3
108
Nick Trost Wild Bill's Dead Man's Hand dead man's hand shows up twice, with spelling, CATO, shuffling and dealing
 		2015
Subtle Card Creations — Volume 5
1236
So Sato The Professor Still Fools Us card "named" by spectator, Dai Vernon's named used to spell to it
 		2016
The Secrets of So Sato
76
Pepe Lirrojo P.A.D.O.I. two deck routine, open prediction, two cards spelled two, deck in order and selection vanishes
 		2016
Panpharos
41
Bob Farmer Another Psychological Discovery card thought of and card selected, thought-of card is used to spell to selection
Inspired by 2017
The Bammo Gaffus Maximus
3
Robert Ramirez Casting the Spell No. 1, performer and spectator each select a card, one spells to the other
 		2017
Unexpected Impuzzibilities
3
Patrick G. Redford Spelling Cards built-in spelling cards in the Redford Stack
 		2017
Temporarily Out of Order
90
Áriston, Rafael O. Fontao Superimpossible prediction of position where selection ends up, nine cards are mixed by spelling cards
Related to 2017
Hojas Sueltas
75
Nick Trost Clubs are Forever card selected and spelled to, cards used in spelling are Ace through Nine of Clubs and selection Ten of Clubs
Inspired by
  • "Diamonds are Forever" (Paul Gordon, Protean Card Magic, 1998)
 2017
Subtle Card Creations — Volume 6
1463
Nick Trost The Seven (or Eight) of Diamonds Trick spectator riffle shuffles, cuts deck in half, Seven of Diamonds is spelled three times and found, next four cards complete a straight flush
Inspired by
  • "The Eight of Diamonds Trick" (Paul Gordon, Pack Up Your Cards 1, 2005)
 2017
Subtle Card Creations — Volume 6
1543
Nick Trost Carter's ESP Fooler ESP deck divided into three piles, performer removes one from each pile, symbols are spelled and mates found
Inspired by 2017
Subtle Card Creations — Volume 6
1551
Nick Trost ESP Cards and Coins Routine routine with ESP cards and coins
  • Phase One (Roy Walton's "Ghostly Spells")
  • Phase Two (Howard Adams's "Change in Mind")
  • Phase Three (Mel Bennett's "Thrifty Aces")
Inspired by 2017
Subtle Card Creations — Volume 6
1579
Harapan Ong Count or Spell random values are counted or spelled to as the spectator wishes, leads to four Aces
 		2018
Principia
234
David Solomon Perfect Spelling card chosen from a list of playing cards is spelled to, progressive spelling set-up
 		2018
Solomon's Secrets
113
Harapan Ong Bits and Pieces Smaller features of A Stack to Forget, including a small sandwich trick, spelling bank etc.
Related to 2019
A Stack to Forget
27
Harapan Ong Spelling Chain 1 spelling to suit, then value, then selection itself
 		2019
A Stack to Forget
63
Harapan Ong Spelling Chain 2 spelling to peeked-at card
 		2019
A Stack to Forget
64
Harapan Ong Old School, New School Spelling to divine the first card's suit and value, then find all the mates to the second selection
 		2019
A Stack to Forget
72
Michał Kociołek Three + One Spelling and coincidence trick, spell with small packet, end with four of a kind production
Inspired by 2019
Plots & Methods
31
Pepe Lirrojo Entropic Spell, a new way to spell cards card is spelled to, then repeated and spectator can chose if spelled from bottom or top and even in different language, duplicate
 		2019
Some Different Stuff
1
Steve Beam Stebbin' Out spelling color, number, mate always corresponding to the selection
Inspired byAlso published here 2019
Card Tricks That Kilt
2
José Franco Mnemonicosis on José Carroll's own memorized stack
  • 1. Spelling
  • 2. Poker
  • 3. Poker - Gin Rummy
  • 4. Dai Vernon's Poker Formula
  • The Shift from a Stacked Deck to a Symmetrical Deck
  • 5. The Great Coincidence
  • Author's Note
Related toAlso published here
  • The MMS Circular, No. 67, July 1980
 2019
52 Lovers — Through the Looking-Glass
25
Ramón Riobóo My Spelling System Spelling to any card in the deck when it is at position 12
Related to 2019
Second Thoughts
5
Nick Trost The Two of Clubs selection lost, dice thrown and total dealt three times in half deck, selection and mates and a royal flush show up
Inspired by 2019
Subtle Card Creations — Volume 7
1741
Nick Trost Beat the Clock Triple Deal spell dealing location, card and its position remembered, dice rolled and total used for triple dealing procedure
Inspired by
  • "Beat the Clock" (James E. Sansotera, The Linking Ring, May 1992))
 2019
Subtle Card Creations — Volume 7
1742
Nick Trost Triple Dealing Spelled Card packet shuffled and bottom card remembered, triple spell of selection
Inspired by 2019
Subtle Card Creations — Volume 7
1744
Scott Green Survivor spelling with four-card packet, remaining card predicted
Inspired by 2020
Magic for BLM
119
Steve Beam Double Dipper spectator removes up to thirteen cards and remembers one, one card is used to determine the amount of cards and the card by counting and spelling the card's value and suit
 		2020
Semi-Automatic Card Tricks — Volume 12
85
Lewis Jones Phishing password protection presentation, spelling to find card
 		2020
Semi-Automatic Card Tricks — Volume 12
275
Paul Gallagher Card Detective card chosen, "card" and "detective" spelled to find cards of same suit and value
 		Sep. 2021
Genii (Vol. 84 No. 9)
64
Jim Steinmeyer Traveling Companions No. 6, spelling days, countries, ... in eleven-card packet to arrive at the four Queens
 		2021
Bewildering Impuzzibilities
17
Jim Steinmeyer Fastest, Neatest No. 10, spelling trick with packet, first letter of value used to spell "fastest" and "neatest"
Inspired by
  • routines in Jim Scott's "Spellbinders, for Teachers and Entertainers"
 2021
Bewildering Impuzzibilities
30
Michael Pilkey ACAIN "Any Card at its Name", selection lost, spectator spells to it without performer having seen its face
Variations May 2023
The Hermit (Vol. 2 No. 5)
806
John Carey Choice and Chance spectator does cutting sequence, then words are spelled and a four-of-a-kind is found
 		May 2023
The Hermit (Vol. 2 No. 5)
813
Scott Baird Splell incorporating humorous spelling trick into procedure of Si Stebbins Secret
Inspired byRelated to May 2023
The Hermit (Vol. 2 No. 5)
820
Bertie Mac Producing the First Fifteen Cards spelling rules for top section in Echo Stack
 		Oct. 2023
The Hermit (Vol. 2 No. 10)
1026
Michael Weber Lucky Dollar chosen card is located by spelling digits from the serial number of a bill, the spelled packets have the three mates on top
  • History
  • Rights
 		2023
Lucky Dollar
1
Allan Ackerman The Spell of Sachs any card named, spectator spells any name and finds card thought of by performer, when spelling again the named card
Inspired by
  • "To Cause a Card to Appear in Any Position in the Pack" (Sachs, Sleight of Hand, 1885)
 2024
All In — Volume 2
193
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