What would you do when faced with a bet so unbelievably good that you simply couldn’t lose? How far would you go? What are your limits? Before you meet UP THE ANTE then you’d better have an idea.....
Imagine if you will that a spectator is able to cut, deal and shuffle your cards, without you touching them whatsoever, and yet, you are able to make the most unbelievable bets upon the cards he or she deals to the table! There is no sleight of hand and this works with totally un-gaffed cards! You are able to bet that the first several pairs dealt face-down to the table will contain both a red and a black card. When you have had enough of challenging your opponent in this way, you then propose that the next group of cards dealt will contain one card of each suit! This is repeated a few times before you make the final, outrageous wager that, if thirteen face-down cards were dealt then that group will contain an ace right through to a king – thirteen different cards in all! Amazingly you are able to repeat that feat a second time.
If you did not possess a reputation as a card-sharp before this routine, you certainly will at the end! Remember that you did not shuffle or indeed even handle the cards!
Interested? Then read on.....
Very Easy to do!
No gaffed cards or gimmicks!
No hard memorization work!
No sleight of hand!
The cards do all the work for you!
The outcome is the same every time!
A great bar bet and magician fooler!
'Did I ever tell you how I came to become a magic dealer?
I walked into the magic shop and spread the deck across the table; clearly they could see for themselves that nothing had been set up......I closed the spread and gave them the deck. I swear that I did not touch the deck again, nor did I switch it. Between us, they cut, dealt and riffle-shuffled that deck themselves... At my behest they dealt cards in groups, small at first and face down onto the table. I proposed a bet... They felt at first that it could go either way....it just seemed so completely...fair.... they accepted the bet, a 50:50 fair bet. More cards were dealt, the odds were clearly lengthening – and in their favour, too! - I proposed that we UP THE ANTE and they accepted – I NEVER, EVER touched that deck and yet I kept proposing more and more unbelievable bets on the outcome of their dealing. All that I insisted on was that we kept UPPING THE ANTE, raising the bet so to speak. They cut, they had shuffled and they dealt those cards and the bets were simply outrageous... the pot was enormous.....the final bet was just awesome....
They called each other impetuous as they left the shop and the business that they had spent years building up.....I locked my new door behind me............They will never, ever bet with a stranger for money again...' - Dominic Reyes (Don't believe a word of it)
Review by Gary Jones
This routine isn't for the table hopper or strolling magician, you need table space as this routine is a 'layout' type effect. If you do gambling type routines or you perform magic at parties, on the streets, parlour, down the pub or at work etc (or this could be a feature routine for that intimate cabaret type gig) then this would be very hard to top. Martyn is an airline pilot and a very clever thinker, what really stands out for me is the 'hands off' bit, once you hand out the deck you never need touch it again. Each prediction/proposition bet gets more outrageous and finishes with an impossible and logical climax.
I'm getting more and more bookings these days for private house parties and this is the type of routine you can do when they say "I wouldn't like to play cards with you." In Martyn's own words...."If you did not possess a reputation as a card-sharp before this routine, you certainly will at the end! Remember that you did not shuffle or indeed even handle the cards!"
Included with this are some really nice touches and presentational tips , ideas and scripts, also there are additional handling's for the more esoteric type of performer.
MORE REVIEWS
" I LOVE THIS MAGIC TRICK " - Nico Zottos
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'When you perform around other professional Magicians on a regular basis there are not too many effects or props you can show them that will get a strong reaction. Last weekend I was performing Close-Up Magic at the California Magic Dinner Theatre, and after the show I performed "Up the Ante" for a few of the other performers. These are professional Magicians who have performed for years. They were blown away! This is NOT a trick you can do in a walk around set, it requires too much table space. However, if you wanted to impress a bar manager, trying to show him why he should hire you, or a restaurant manager, or someone who might hire you for a corporate gig, this WILL take their head clean off! Keeping this in your pocket, ready to go, a few false shuffles and then launch into the presentation where the spectator had absolutely full control over the deck throughout the presentation, it does not get any better than that when it comes to this type of effect.' - Hank Morfin
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I just arrived home a few days ago from a charity event where I used Martyn Smith's "Up the Ante" as a method of raising money for a very worthy cause.
For those not yet familiar with "Up The Ante" - this trick is just a knockout!!!
The charity is called "Lose The Training Wheels" and is an organization that helps kids with Downs Syndrome and similar disabilities to learn how to ride a bike. There were the typical silent auctions, but the absolute highlight of the night for me was "Up The Ante."
Let me suggest that any Magician intending to work a benefit like this can really make some big $$$ for a charity by using this gem!
In addition, Magician's seeking a gig for a charity could sell themselves based on the extra $$$ that "Up The Ante" could bring in, not to mention the fun and fantastic entertainment value.
Tonight we raised over $850 for this charity during the band's intermission - this amount directly attributable to "Up The Ante."
Here is the scenario: I brought along about $1000 in play money which were split up and handed to 4 hand chosen spectators who were told in advance that this would be a trick and that of any monies wagered - 100% would be donated to the charity. The group would have to work together to decide how much to bet on each round. Just to make things interesting, I also told the audience that if for some reason ANY of my card predictions were to be wrong, then I would donate my entire fee for the gig to the charity.
I told the audience that just as in a gambling casino, I would be the "House" and the 4 spectators would be the gamblers.
Without going into all the details of the numerous betting rounds, suffice it to say that the audience started to really get whooped up as I got to the two sets of 13 cards. Some audience members even threw some real $100 bills on top of the play money because they were having so much fun!
I would encourage ANYONE out there to try "Up The Ante" for a charity or fundraiser. I received compliments all night long from the hosts and guests who were blown away by this "packs small - plays big" effect that is so much more than just a simple card trick. - BRETT
