Benny Jay: David Copperfield’s Magic Trick

In the middle of the day, I get an email from my buddy Danny. The header says it all: “This will blow your away!!!”

Hmm? I scan down and come to an image of David Copperfield – you know, the magician….

There are six face cards – King of Hearts, Jack of Spades, King of Spades, Queen of Diamonds, Queen of Clubs and Jack of Diamonds.

“You can see six different cards,” the instructions read. “Think on one. Just think on it. Do not touch it. Do not click on it. I will find the card in your mind.”

I sit back. I wonder –is this some sort of Internet scam that will cost me money?  Can’t think of how it could. What the hell — I pick the Jack of Clubs.

I scan down to another picture of Copperfield. “Now look straight into my eyes and think of your card,” the instructions read.

I’m like – I’m not going to look into your eyes. This is too weird. Then I think – just go with it. I look around my room – like there might be someone watching me. And then I look into David Copperfield’s eye and think: Jack of Clubs.

In my life, I know I’ve done dumber things….

Well, guess what? When I scan down, there are only five cards on the screen. The Jack of Clubs is missing.

What the fu….

A sucker’s born every minute….

I drop down to another picture of Copperfield. The message reads: “I do not know you. I could not see the card you have chosen. But I know exactly the card that is on your mind.”

I try it again – only with the Queen of Diamonds.

No Queen of Diamonds.

I call Danny. “Is this for real?” I ask.

“I’m telling you,” he says.

From the background, I hear Joan, Danny’s wife, saying something about telepathic rays.

“What’s she saying?” I ask.

“She’s saying the computer can read images off of your eyes,” says Danny.

“Read images off my eyes?”

“I didn’t say it – Joan said it….”

“A computer can’t read images off your eyes?”

“The way to test it is to put on sunglasses….”

“Sunglasses?”

“That way the computer can’t see your eyes….”

“Great idea!” I exclaim. “Why didn’t I think of that?”

Down the stairs I scramble. Back I race with my sunglasses. “Okay,” I say.

“Got the sunglasses?”

“Hold on….”

I put on the sunglasses. I pick the Queen of Hearts. I look into Copperfield’s eyes….

“Oh, my God,” I say. “It works!”

“You mean, he couldn’t name the card?” says Danny.

“No, he named the card.”

“That kills the sunglasses theory….”

I hang up. I look out the window. I look at the computer. I get another idea. How about if I close my eyes all together? I’ll think of a card, but I won’t let him see my eyes? Oh, perfect – why didn’t I think of this before?

I run through it again.  Only this time I don’t look into his eyes.

He still gets the right card.

Damn!

I call Milo. His specialty is scams….

I send him the email. I run him through the game. He picks the Queen of Hearts.

“Did it disappear?” I ask.

“Yeah,” he says.

“See?” I say. “It’s fucking magic….”

By the way, I’ve been swearing more – under Milo’s advisement.

“Benny,” he says. “There’s an old saying – never bet on another man’s trick….”

“Huh?”

“Let’s say a man comes up to you, holds up a deck of cards and says — `I bet I can make a jack of clubs jump out of the deck and spit tobacco juice in your eyes.’”

“Yeah….”

“Don’t take his bet….”

“Why?”

“Cause you’ll wind up owing him money on the bet and you’ll have tobacco juice in your eye….”

“Huh?”

“It’s a trick, Benny. Just like this David Copperfield thing is a trick. And the guy running the trick knows he can pull it off of he wouldn’t make the bet.”

I tell Milo how I put on sunglasses.

There’s a pause. “You didn’t really put on sunglasses….”

“Well, ugh, actually it was Danny’s idea….”

“Benny – it’s got nothing to do with reading your eyes. That picture of David Copperfield can’t magically read your mind. It’s not magic. There’s no such thing as magic — only tricks.”

It dawns on me – I just might be the biggest sucker in Chicago. I decide not to tell Milo about doing the trick with my eyes closed.

“What does David Copperfield get out of this?” I ask.

“I don’t know, but you got to figure out he’s getting something. That guy’s one of the most successful entertainers of all time. He’s made like a billion dollars. I hear he owns an island in the Carribbean.”

“An island?”

“An island….”

“Wow, I want to own an island….”

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. We got to come up with a scam like that for The Third City. As soon as we figure out how to cut Big Mike out of the money, of course….”

Fast forward twenty or so hours….

My cell phone rings. It’s Milo. He’s all excited. Like he’s figured something out: “Benny, here’s what you do. Look at Copperfield’s eyes and say, `I’m thinking of no card….”

“Oh, brilliant, Milo.”

I call up the e-mail. I look at Copperfield’s eyes. I say, “I’m thinking of no card.”

“What happened?” asks Milo.

“The Jack of Diamonds disappeared,” I say.

“The Jack of Diamonds?”

“Yeah — what’s that mean?”

“I don’t know….”

“You don’t know?”

“Yeah, I don’t know….”

“What do you mean you don’t know — you’re supposed to know this shit, Milo….”

“You think I’m as good as David Copperfield? That fucker’s good. That’s why he owns an island. I’m telling you, Benny — we play our cards right and we’ll own an island, too….”

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