By Choice & By Chance

(Based on 3 reviews)
A book test for the strolling magician. You give the spectator a dictionary containing thousands of words and a couple of dice. The directions are simple: a word will be chosen by choice and by chance. The chance consists of rolling the dice to get any random numbers. Then the choice comes into play: the spectator can use those numbers in several ways. If they rolled a 5 and a 4, they could add those numbers and turn to page 9 or page 45 or page 54, or roll again and start with new numbers. Whatever they choose, they open the book to the selected page and think of the first word on the page. The magician writes down his prediction. The spectator names their word and - they are a perfect match. Very easy, no tough stuff or memory work. Comes with dictionary, dice, notepad and full instructions.

Reviews

This is one of the tricks I always carry in my doctor's bag of tricks. Like with Slate of Mind (Maverick magic) you can perform this trick with any book if you are willing to work it out with your PC, (a one time 15 minutes job per book) That makes it universal. You can use the bible or a stockholders report ! Strangely enough nobody ever seems to be interested in the notebook you write you prediction in or the slate for that matter. The audience does not realize that the number of results you can get with two dice even using the alternatives mentioned in the description is limited, so in case you have a stunning memory - which I never had - you could in theory memorize all the results for two dice being thrown. Using three dice and the same method would make it impossible to perform this trick unless you could somehow use your i-phone and invest hours per book to set it up.
But if you want to make this trick an absolutely impossible stunner defeating the suspicion that you have a stunning memory, do what I did; contact Craig Filicetti of ProMystic. Then you can do this trick exactly as described but turning your back while the dice are being thrown so you definitely cannot know at what page the spec is looking.
Most highly recommended.

Kaarlo von Freymann Helsinki Finland
(Top ▲)

Jeff Sherwood

Mar 05, 2013

This is an awesome effect. The dictionary is real, the dice are ungimmicked, the pad is...well...a pad. The revelation, if played right, can be stunning to spectators. I did have one spectator approach me after a recent show and point out that memory work could be employed to get the proper effect. I wouldn't worry about this observation too much as I've performed this trick over a hundred times (as of 2/23/13) both in intimate close up and parlor settings, and that was the first time anyone said anything about it.
If you are a mentalist, this one is for you.
By the way, memory work is not a requirement to perform this
(Top ▲)

Lary Crews

Jun 07, 2011

I started using this back when I worked at NBC doing line magic for tourists waiting for the Tonight show. Since then, I've done it in five different casinos in Vegas.

Bottom line: I've performed this great effect more than a thousand times. It always kills.

It's easy for strolling magic because all you need is a pocket size dictionary, pad and dice (all supplied). No difficult moves at all. It's actually almost a math secret. Audiences love it because it seems so entirely fair. (You can use 12, 21 or 3 etc)
I love it because it's not a coin trick and not a card trick and you don't need to set fire to anything.

I recommend it most highly

Lary Crews
Reality Bender
(Top ▲)