"Back to Vegas" A.K.A. "The Breggar Bundle" compiling two books:
The Five Roads to Vegas and Back to the Launching Pad
Never before in the history of sentient beings has such ridiculousness been bound together into a single volume. This is most certainly because no one really cared.
Until now, that is.
Award-winning columnist for The Linking Ring, Michael Breggar, has e-glued his two highly successful books into one instantly forgettable volume!
The books have been exceptionally well-reviewed by people who should have known better:
"The clever and talented Michael Breggar, major-domo of the 'Auto-Magic' column in The Linking Ring, has done it again! ... I don't think there is a higher recommendation I could give to a book."
- Marc DeSouza
"Michael Breggar's continuing contribution to magic is a revelation - commercial plots, devious methods and, most valuable, quirky and engaging presentations!"
- Liam Montier
"Michael provides recognizable forms for the simplicity and cleverness of the methods to secretly nourish the engaging and amusing themes he has chosen to anecdotally share-not as tricks per se but as congenial curiosities...which is a difference that truly makes a difference!"
- Jon Racherbaumer
"Updates on classics with new twists at every turn, with surprises guaranteed to kick the slats out from underneath your audience. More than card tricks, "Back to the Launching Pad" includes mentalism and more. Well written, clever variations, and commercial presentations."
- Scott Wells
"Michael Breggar brings his experience as a columnist, performer, and creator on the printed page, filled with fun, doable, and inspiring ideas."
- John Guastaferro
Here's the alien autopsy of the 100-plus pages of oddness...
From The Five Roads to Vegas
The Five Roads to Vegas: A great opener with lots of audience participation. You play the role of a Vegas croupier dealing cards to a "poker team" of five spectators. As you deal down cards from a shuffled deck, the five "players" yell STOP at any time. The cards they stopped at randomly comprise a royal flush. But wait... you have predicted which of the five players would stop at which of the five royal flush cards! And as an extra surprise, the other 47 cards in the deck are blank!
Three Numbers and a Lady: A "triple prediction" effect that solves the issue of the typical "weak" third prediction. There's a nice twist at the end that no one sees coming.
Coin-Seyan Economics: "Miraskill" meets Steinmeyer meets John Maynard Keynes. What starts as a funny lecture in Global Economics (yeah, really!), turns into a stunningly, multi-phase prediction effect. Great for stand-up and stage.
Drawing on Emotion: The drawing duplication effect that Michael uses in his parlor and stage acts. Can easily be adapted for close-up and walk-around. It is direct, clear and limitless. Above all, it is organic and doesn't feel like "a trick."
A Principle in Search of an Effect: A bare-bones prediction effect is used here to illustrate a little-used principle that has Gilbreath DNA. Readers are invited to turn their imagination spigots on high to make this a miracle.
Monopoly-S-P: "The cure for the common bored game." A fun mentalism routine right off your game shelf.
Self-Fulfilling Prophesy: Takes Bill Simon's wonderful "Prophesy" move to a new level. Not only is it sleight-free, but it is performed in the spectator's hands!
Three Spies and the Extraction: A performance piece that puts the "Self-Fulling Prophesy" in motion with a cool story about spies and international intrigue. Le Carre would appreciate the ending!
Absolutely ACAANY: A self-working "Any Card at Any Number" effect that received more highly favorable emails and comments than any other effect in the "Auto-Magic" column. As a bonus, Michael details THREE additional sleight-free ACAAN versions never before published.
Plus, two short essays reflecting on the Zen of sleight-free magic and Michael's opinions on why it is so important in the magic oeuvre, provide must-read bookends.
From Back to the Launching Pad
Back To The Launching Pad: Michael's addition to the "Out of this World" landscape, with a big difference...it's done with the cards face up! Already a favorite of several working pros.
ACAAN Opener: An old principle on top of an old U. F. Grant card trick turns it into a funny, yet still amazing Any Card at Any Number effect.
A Whole Empty Brain: Yet another old card principle that has been redressed and relayered to surprise even the knowledgeable. Two spectators show they are in mental sync by a very fair selection of cards from a shuffled deck. Not only are their cards mates, the rest of the deck suddenly turns blank!
Not Just Another Book Test (A.K.A. "The Two-Fingered Book Test"): Michael received an amazing amount of emails on this effect. Finally, a book test that seems organic and makes contextual sense. Or were the emails more about the "AKA" part of the title?
The Dating Game: Playing around with yet another old principle, Michael conjures up a fun effect where famous couples' names are listed on index cards. The cards are then torn in half and fully mixed, thus "separating" the couples. Using random throws of dice, the spectators magically reunite the couples. Usually!
Mixed Emojis: Based on a Dan Harlan version of a Martin Gardner concept, a fabulous three-phase routine is demonstrated using domino-sized tiles depicting mobile phones with everyone's favorite excuse for not typing complete text messages!
Cra-Ker-Jack: Michael invents a ridiculously bizarre and funny new casino game, with rules that change on a whim. The spectators are treated to an amazing routine of card magic where their random decisions find the mates to four selected cards and ultimately produce the four Aces.
The Price Is Write: From Michael's corporate repertoire, in figuring the "best price" for a silly-looking pen, the spectators write out all different prices on price tags. Through a very fair and random process of elimination, one tag is selected. The price on the tag exactly matches the amount of change in a small envelope, sitting on the table untouched from the beginning.
Drawn Conclusion: Michael's favorite trick and frequent closer. From a shuffled deck, a spectator selects a face down card. They place their fingers lightly on top in an effort to read the card through their fingertips. The magician then tries to read the reading and draws the image on a paper. Is it the correct card? Well, sorta.
Plus, two essays written in Michael's breezy style with more tips and presentational ideas than you can shake a stick at. If that's your idea of a good time.
PLUS, there's a whole new foreword and a detailed description of the meaning of life.
(Well, at least one of those)
Download the eBook and enjoy!
