Out of Sight Out of Your Mind (OOSOOYM) is a very fooling and fun to perform mind-reading/prediction effect with a deck of cards. The trick comes with an instructional DVD and a gimmicked deck of Bicycle cards. OOSOOYM was inspired by Vernon’s Out of Sight Out of Mind, for which the Professor is credited. Quite simply put, the effect is astonishing as two spectator’s visually chosen cards are located without the performer knowing what they are.
The DVD starts with a pub performance of the trick by Jones and is then demonstrated and taught in the studio with Jones’s crony, Chris Congreave. The trick is taught well and the DVD quality is decent.
In OOSOOYM, the performer fans a deck of cards, hold them up in the air above the spectator’s head who focuses on one card and silently remembers it. The second spectator then looks at the fanned deck, also held up above their head, and visually picks a card of the opposite color. As the spectators each concentrates on their card, the performer stops at a certain point in the deck. The spectator names their card and it is the one on top of the deck.
This trick cannot be repeated for the same audience and the deck cannot be inspected or handed out. OOSOOYM is not difficult to perform, but is not for an absolute beginner. Although it is possible that the spectators may see something a bit off with the fanned deck, when they are looking at it to select a card, Jones claims that because the deck is held over their head, it eliminates the possibility of exposure. I believe he is correct. The reset takes a few seconds.
The promotional video shows you exactly how the trick is performed. The ad copy claims that “with NO questions asked, the Magician deals down to the thought of card.” This is not exactly accurate and is somewhat misleading. In fact, before the performer turns over the thought of card, he actually asks the spectator to name their card, and then turns over their card, which is at the top of the deck in either the pile that the performer is holding or the other half that the spectator is holding. Notwithstanding this inaccurate statement, the effect still rocks.