2026
2026: Works 73
2026
January 2026
73. Ambiguous Antecedent
A card travels impossibly from the center of the deck to between a pair of jokers under a box. Moments later, a card only thought of is discovered somewhere else entirely.
2020–2025
2025: Works 61 to 72
2025
72. Perceptual Closure
A single card is shown, one at a time, to three spectators. When asked what they saw, each names a different card. The card is then revealed to have been a Joker all along.
December 2025
November 2025
71. Doppelgänger 1.0
Three cards are selected and shown separately to three spectators. A Joker is shown to each, apparently transforming into their card. The routine concludes with a collective revelation: all four cards are Queens.
70. The Gathering 1.0
An ace assembly. The aces are found and placed at four corners, each topped with three cards. One packet reveals the aces, the others the jacks, queens, and kings, and the remainder the tens down to twos.
October 2025
September 2025
69. Ambitiously Minimal
An ambitious card routine with only three cards. The Queen of Hearts rises, falls, and trades places—again and again, whether face up or face down.
68. Doubly Ambitious
A short, in-the-hands, ambitious card routine. A variation of the trick that Dai Vernon did to fool Houdini.
August 2025
July 2025
67. Déjà Vu
Two people repeatedly find matching mates from a regular deck. In the end, they each sign a card—only to discover both signatures fused on opposite sides of a single card, echoing Anniversary Waltz.
66. Matching Mates
Two people each select a card and find they’ve both chosen the black aces, which they set aside. When they try again, the same black aces appear—while the red aces now lie where the black ones had been.
June 2025
May 2025
65. Prediction By Elimination
Can You Be Controlled? Revisted
Using a process of elimination, a spectator gradually removes cards until only one remains. It matches the prediction.
64. Divination Gone 2
A thought of ace is divined and then vanishes under someone else's hand.
April 2025
March 2025
63. Divination Gone 1
With four aces on the table, one thought of ace vanishes and appears inside your pocket, leaving three. Instantly, it returns, but now the other three are in your pocket.
62. Step Shift
Instantly move any card from the middle to the top of the deck secretly.
February 2025
January 2025
61. Three Absconded
Cards To Box
One of three selections is signed, with each lost in the deck. The signed card appears on top of the box, then under it. Finally, all three appear inside—only to escape, leaving the deck inside.
2024: Works 49 to 60
2024
60. Find Four 44, 45, & 46
A spectator unwittingly finds four of a kind. Three ways.
December 2024
November 2024
59. Prologue
An utterly white playing card slowly transforms into the queen of hearts, first the back and then the front, and then, in reverse, back to white. Finally, it metamorphoses into a white pocket square silk.
58. Kooler 2.0
Let someone shuffle the cards and find four aces while simultaneously switching the deck in full view.
October 2024
September 2024
57. Betwixt Me Modestly
Two playing cards set apart instantly switch places with one another. No duplicates. Three ways shared.
56. Empty Your Cup
Pour several coins out of a cup and perform any routine. At the end, drop the coins back into the cup individually. After a moment, pour out the contents to show that the coins have transformed into whiskey!
August 2024
July 2024
55. Collectors Rise & Interlace
Three selected cards magically interlace between four aces twice. Then, from between the aces, they vanish and are found interlaced between queens at the center of the deck.
54. Collectors Rebound
Three cards appear interlaced between four aces. After being lost again, four aces transform into the three selections. Finally, aces appear wrapped around the three again.
June 2024
May 2024
53. Unusually Ambitious
Three atypical ambitious card techniques. A card is seen going into the middle of the deck but continually reappears at the top.
52. Metamorphosis
Two cards are selected, one placed inside the box and the other outside and under. In an instant, both reveal they have switched with each other!
April 2024
March 2024
51. Four Pockets And A Foregone Conclusion
A spectator signs one of four aces; each lost into the deck. The deck is spread to find aces vanished. You then remove each from four different pockets.
50. Jokers Abscond 2.0
Place two jokers inside the card box. A selection sits under the spectator's hand. Upon opening the box, they see their card and three mates, and under their hand are the two jokers.
February 2024
January 2024
49. Reset
Four aces sit aside while four kings are shown. One by one, kings reverse. Then, switch places with the aces. Finally, kings and aces transpose yet again, but instantly.
2023: Works 37 to 48
2023
48. Here To There
A selection appears between two random cards. And again, but eerily switches with the two. Finally, set between, it transports to the deck's center, while three mates appear between the random two.
December 2023
November 2023
47. Betwixt & Between
From a deck of playing cards, a chosen card held by a spectator instantly switches places with another held by you (no gaffs or duplicates.)
46. Pocket full Of Prudence
Four aces individually cut into the deck immediately appear inside the breast pocket of your jacket. Hence, a cards-to-pocket routine.
October 2023
September 2023
45. Hidden Order 2.0. $250
A do-as-I-do effect whereby you and a spectator shuffle a deck of cards, one blue and one red. Then, both of you randomly select a card to find each match. You perform three more iterations. But afterward, both decks match entirely!
44. Against All Odds
A spectator unwittingly finds four of a kind, but from a deck, they shuffled!
August 2023
July 2023
43. Find Four 31, 32, & 33
A spectator unwittingly finds four mates — part of the Find Four series.
42. Find Four 28, 29, & 30
A spectator unwittingly finds four mates — part of the Find Four series.
June 2023
May 2023
41. Find Four 25, 26, & 27
A spectator unwittingly finds four mates — part of the Find Four series.
40. Find Four 22, 23, & 24
A spectator unwittingly finds four mates — part of the Find Four series.
April 2023
March 2023
39. Find Four 19, 20, 21
A spectator unwittingly finds four mates — part of the Find Four series.
38. Zeroed
Four cards sit separately at four corners, but four coins sit together under one. Then one by one, each metal mysteriously absconds to the four corners. Soon after, they all vanish!
February 2023
January 2023
37. Find Four 16, 17
A spectator unwittingly finds four mates — part of the Find Four series.
2022: Works 25 to 36
2022
36. Find Four 13, 14, & 15
A spectator unwittingly finds four mates — part of the Find Four series.
December 2022
November 2022
35. Find Four 10, 11, & 12
A spectator unwittingly finds four mates — part of the Find Four series.
34. Find Four 7, 8, & 9
A spectator unwittingly finds four mates — part of the Find Four series.
October 2022
September 2022
33. Find Four 4, 5, & 6
A spectator unwittingly finds four mates — part of the Find Four series.
32. Find Four 1, 2, & 3
A spectator unwittingly finds four mates — part of the Find Four series.
August 2022
July 2022
31. Schrödinger's Pasteboards. $75
A card selected from a blue deck instantly switches with one from a red deck which happens three times as a playful metaphor for quantum entanglement.
30. Merlin's 'Lost' Aces
Four aces are dealt face down in a row. From twelve more, the dealing continues until four piles of four cards are in each. A group is selected to reveal four aces now together.
June 2022
May 2022
29. Hidden Order Primer
Spectator, and you shuffle half the deck and exchange the top card. They match, even upon repeating. You set three cards aside. The Spectator mixes further and makes three piles — finally, on top of each reveals a match for your predictions.
28. Thought Of Card - in six ways
From a shuffled deck, set one card aside as a prediction. Having thought of a card earlier, the participant names it, and it's the same as predicted.
April 2022
March 2022
27. Card Thru Table
A card penetrates thru a table in three ways, then a surprise at the end.
26. Kooler
Prepare a deck switch in plain view while under the guise of having someone shuffle. Immediately switch just after. No gimmicks.
February 2022
January 2022
25. Nothing Less Than The Truth
A four-to-one transposition. Under a spectator's hand, a selection added to four aces vanishes only to reappear inside your jacket pocket, leaving the aces behind. Then their card returns while the four aces simultaneously go to the jacket.
2021: Works 13 to 24
2021
24. Divination In A Box
Place four aces inside a card box. Let someone call one out. Remove the cards to show the one named reversed.
December 2021
November 2021
23. Spector Collectors
Aces set aside. Lost in the deck are three selections. No shuffling. Afterward, between four aces spread apart, appear the selections interlaced.
22. What Is Magic?
Matrix: Four coins sit apart at four corners with a card over each. After a moment, one by one, each coin vanishes until all four are found together in one corner. Script included.
October 2021
September 2021
21. Preamble
Four selections instantly change into the four aces then one card is used as a brush to paint four coins across the table. Script included.
20. Imbricate Shift
A spectator unwittingly finds four mates — three related methods to switch four selections while out-jogged from different locations.
August 2021
July 2021
19. Hide & Seek
A card selected, remembered, and returned is lost in the deck — a participant searches by elimination — choosing four, then one. In the end, they find their card but also the three mates.
18. Jokers Abscond
Two chosen cards magically switch places. Then again. Upon the third and final exchange, the two jokers inside the box are now outside. At the same time, found inside are the chosen cards.
June 2021
May 2021
17. Once Upon Reflection
After a prediction from a red deck, the Spectator shuffles a blue deck, selects one, and both cards match. You get three variations.
16. Three Silver And A Copper
Here is an unconventional four-coins-across routine with three methods applied and one odd coin making the final journey.
April 2021
March 2021
15. Betwixt Box & Pocket
Two cards magically transpose with one another between the box and pocket. One is signed.
14. Betwixt Me-ish
A chosen card magically switches places with another twice. Upon turning both again, they become the four aces. And the selection is found at the center of the deck.
February 2021
January 2021
13. The Prince And The Pauper
A spectator holds a copper coin while the magician grips a silver. Then the copper turns to silver while the silver transmutes into copper. — no extras or gimmicks.
2020: Works 2 to 12
2020
12. A Travelers Homecoming
Four aces set apart magically come together. Then where they should still be are now the queens. Where are the aces? Back in the box.
December 2020
November 2020
11. Mere Thought
Predict one out of four of a kind. Similar to B'Wave but done with an ordinary pack of cards and an odd psychological ploy. No guessing.
10. Travelers Of Tomorrow
A classic open travelers effect. With only four cards, each magically travels one by one, but the fourth appears under a spectator's hand. Then the entire deck vanishes and reappears.
October 2020
September 2020
7. Sterling Succession
Four coins mysteriously travel from one hand to the other.
8. Old Friends
From a deck of cards, a spectator unwittingly cuts to the four aces.
August 2020
July 2020
7. Sterling Succession
Four coins mysteriously travel from one hand to the other.
6. Just Being
Aces transform into kings and then change back.
June 2020
May 2020
5. The Thought Of Triumph
Have a card merely thought of and perform Triumph. Shuffle cards face up and down, then spread to show all magically unmixed except for one, their thought of card.
4. Inscrutable Pocket
Cards magically transpose from deck to pocket — no palming.
April 2020
March 2020
3. Can You Be Controlled?
By elimination, a spectator gradually removes cards until one remains. It matches the prediction.
2. Tenacious Seeker
A coin vanishes and then reappears to find a selected card.
February 2020
On why this work exists →
Shibumi, at least for me: doing what I want when I want without those burdensome tension thoughts pulling me down. Just hanging in that sweet spot of precarious balance between too much and too little—an intersection of blissful fluctuation while sitting with cards, coins, and coffee.
— Armando Lucero
On Shibumi →
The term shibumi is Japanese and is explored at length in the novel Shibumi by Trevanian. You can read more about the book here: ABOUT Shibumi (Wikipedia)
The short reflection above is my own adaptation, inspired by Trevanian’s use of the word and the sensibility he describes. What follows is an excerpt from the novel, quoted here to preserve the original context and language:
“He sounds as though I shall like him, sir.”
“I am sure you will. He is a man who has all my respect. He possesses a quality of . . . how to express it? . . . of shibumi.”
“Shibumi, sir?” Nicholai knew the word, but only as it applied to gardens or architecture, where it connoted an understated beauty. “How are you using the term, sir?”
“Oh, vaguely. And incorrectly, I suspect. A blundering attempt to describe an ineffable quality. As you know, shibumi has to do with great refinement underlying commonplace appearances. It is a statement so correct that it does not have to be bold, so poignant it does not have to be pretty, so true it does not have to be real. Shibumi is understanding, rather than knowledge. Eloquent silence. In demeanor, it is modesty without pudency. In art, where the spirit of shibumi takes the form of sabi, it is elegant simplicity, articulate brevity. In philosophy, where shibumi emerges as wabi, it is spiritual tranquility that is not passive; it is being without the angst of becoming. And in the personality of a man, it is . . . how does one say it? Authority without domination? Something like that.”
Nicholai’s imagination was galvanized by the concept of shibumi. No other ideal had ever touched him so.
“How does one achieve this shibumi, sir?”
“One does not achieve it, one . . . discovers it. And only a few men of infinite refinement ever do that. Men like my friend Otake-san.”
“Meaning that one must learn a great deal to arrive at shibumi?”
“Meaning, rather, that one must pass through knowledge and arrive at simplicity.”
© 2026 The Hungry Imagination